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We've reached peak pride commercialization. Welcome to the era of rainbow capitalism.

Teen Vogue is celebrating Pride by highlighting the stories that matter to the LGBTQ community. See all our coverage here.

Pride month has hit peak commercialization and this year it feels like brands are capitalizing on it more than ever. From corporate banks to restaurant chains and even candy stores (we thought candy was rainbow colored all year round?!) everyone seems to have painted themselves ROYGBIV in honor of the 30 days devoted to the LGBTQIA+ community.

This is particularly true for the fashion world, where limited edition t-shirts, multi-colored bralettes, rainbow platform sandals, and beauty products are being sold by mass market brands to celebrate (and inevitably profit off) a community that has long endured stigmatization, discrimination, harassment, and much worse.

While fostering conversations around LGBTQIA+ rights, creating further visibility for the community, and raising funds for queer-focused non-profits are signficant and commendable gestures, these efforts are also diluting queer narratives. We've now officially entered into the era of rainbow capitalism, where queerness is being marketed to us in a very specific way.

"Brands see June as an opportunity to capitalize on a culture that's reaching mainstream acceptance," MI Leggett, the designer behind genderless clothing brand Official Rebrand tells Teen Vogue. Out deputy editor Fran Tirado agrees. "Queer and trans people, who have really only been ushered into the mainstream in last 50 years, have now become a demo that brands can check boxes on," says Fran, which he believes is an "ugly consequence of being publicly recognized."

Yet boiling queer culture down to be as palatable and consumable as possible, MI says this erases many aspects of queer history and identities and ignores the fact that the group was devastated by a deadly epidemic the government did not adequately address (AIDS). "[Brands generally] don't depict the tragically low life-expectancy of Black trans women being 35. They don't depict higher rates of homelessness, depression or suicide. They mostly depict cis or cis-passing queers who look happy, clean, and affluent. These are not truly inclusive or intersectional representations."

Not only this, Ben Barry, associate professor of equity, diversity, and inclusion at Ryerson University in Toronto argues that most brands' efforts tend to be normative. "Throwing rainbows on t-shirts and jackets...these looks continue to uphold a binary rather than unstitching it." Ben believes that when brands capitalize on queerness, it limits the ways we perceive queer liberation, tying it closely to heteronormativity and capitalism, while also reducing queer issues to being singular issues - mostly gay rights and gay marriage. Rather than spreading the multitude of experiences endured by the community, "it conceals how queer justices are tied to colonialism, racism, transphobia, and capitalism."

It also becomes a problem when fashion and beauty companies support anti-LGBTQ organizations, or work with factories in places where LGBTQIA rights are not fully supported to produce their products. For example, Nike is currently offering special pride products, while still working with Chinese manufacturers. Though China, which is known for being socially conservative, accepted a recommendation from the UN to adopt anti-discrimination laws in March 2019 - a event that queer supporters called a "milestone" - a month later Chinese social media platforms experienced censorship against pro-LGBTQIA content, later reversed after user backlash.

In response to a request for comment from Teen Vogue, Nike highlighted their strong LGBTQIA activism over the years and their and Code of Conduct policies, though they did not address China's censorship of LGBTQA voices directly.

Brands should be considering how they can be stronger allies to the queer community at every point of their business models - from hiring queer employees and executives to putting company policies into practice that ensure they are properly affirming the community. This also means providing gender neutral bathrooms for non-binary and trans folks in their offices and store spaces and also using proper gender pronouns.

"Unfortunately we live in a capitalistic society so brands and corporations are going to do this no matter what," says Fran. "In an ideal world, capitalism would have no place in queer liberation or pride whatsoever." But, there are some things brands can be doing to impact the community in more appropriate ways.

Fran, who regularly travels the country speaking with students and consulting companies about queerness, says brands need to pay attention to their messaging - "I am up in arms and critical in how they come across," he told Teen Vogue - and ensure their efforts have real impact on queer communities by working with a non-profit partner, particularly ones that are more underserved, and donating 100% of proceeds to that organziation.

This year, American Eagle is donating 100% of sales from its pride collection to support LGBT youth via the It Gets Better Project while ASOS has partnered with GLAAD on a 50-piece collection with 100% of net proceeds going to the organization.

Nordstrom is donating 100% of proceeds from a t-shirt that benefits the Human Rights Campaign, while the retailer has also provided grants to various non-profits such as Seattle's Pride Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and is sponsoring several pride parades in the United States and Canada in addition to the World Pride Parade in New York.

Fran believes explicit communication about how much brands are donating and where donations are going is essential. While Doc Martens' 1460 Pride Boots support a critical organization called The Trevor Project - allowing wearers to "stand tall with the LGBTQ community" - the website does not state how much of the $145 the rainboots cost will go to the non-profit.

In response to this, a spokesperson from the company shared over email that, "Dr. Martens doesn't disclose an amount of sales that goes to The Trevor Project because they make a lump sum donation yearly. That way they don't rely on the sales of the product in order to donate the amount they would like towards The Trevor Project's work." While the company's reasoning has some validity, it could be argued that transparency could work in the brand's favor, for those consumers who want to know exactly how much of their purchase is going to support marginalized groups.

Moving forward, Ben believes that in order to shift power structures, brands must also collaborate more with trans people, indigenous people and queer people of color. "Those are really where the attention and the messages or need to be focused because they're the ones who have been left out of pride month and queer liberation," he says. There's also an opportunity for bigger name brands to partner with smaller queer-led companies and help bolster their messages and products.

When companies only talk about queerness during pride month, they are tokenizing the demographic, which Rob Smith, CEO and founder of a genderless retail store called The Phluid Project, says is inauthentic as corporations should be discussing these issues all year around. Rob says, "In order to truly make progress, and I do believe we are on our way, we must approach, admit and work to remedy limitations and injustices in sizing, casting, representation and solution-based product, first."

Plus, Rob thinks that corporate companies have a massive opportunity to protect the queer community in ways that the government won't, pointing out that " In 26 states across the nation, you can still legally get fired for being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community." Accordingly, fashion and beauty brands could play a crucial role in bolstering vulnerable communities and educating the public about queer issues, beyond just creating products and ad campaigns.

Rob has taken these issues into consideration since launching his company, offering diversity trainings, providing gender-neutral bathrooms and dressing rooms, and arranging the retail floor so it is an open concept with no split between masculine and feminine products. Beyond The Phluid Project 's own private label, the company supports queer owned businesses and non-profits whose mission and concept aligns with theirs, and also does consulting for big name brands such as Nike and Macy's to help them implement these ideals in their business practices.

"What feels most pressing in this moment is so much more about company culture and the importance of beauty or fashion brands really taking a stand or are putting forth thoughtful, cogent language about inclusion, about identity as opposed to just selling products," says writer and curator Kimberly Drew." She wants to know who these companies are marketing their products to and who benefits from them, and wishes to see corporations who are putting their efforts towards giving their staff proper diversity and inclusion trainings from C-Suite executives to those working in retail. "I'm way more interested in seeing a cultural shift happen much less than getting a pair of rainbow slippers."

Still, MI makes a point to say they don't want to downplay the importance the rainbow flag can hold for some people. "Even if the motivations are murky, corporate pride collections and campaigns can have a huge impact. I'm very privileged to call both Brooklyn and Berlin home - if I lived in a place where queerness was less accepted, perhaps the endorsements of large companies would mean much more to me."

Model Aaron Philip recognizes the duality of the situation, saying that while capitalizing on pride is wrong brands could really support the community in actionable ways. Recently, she had a positive experience working with Dove on a project, which donated money and resources to The Audre Lorde Product. Aaron told Teen Vogue that the collaboration didn't feel "performative" because Dove is going beyond just donating money. Over email, a spokesperson from the brand shared that, "through this partnership, Dove is supporting the ongoing work of healing justice, trans justice, community building and volunteering being done by The Audre Lorde Project in NYC."

Aaron also starred in Sephora's trans-focused campaign, which released earlier this month, that took a stand for trans inclusion, featuring other transgender, genderqueer, and non-binary models including Hunter Schafer and Fatima Jamal. Similarly, Fran believes that "giving trans people money is the most important thing" - trans people, who are considered one of the most vulnerable groups within the queer community, should be a priority for brands. And this is especially true since Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender woman, was a major figure in the Stonewall Riots that ultimately prompted the first pride-related celebrations in 1970.

Ultimately, celebrating pride is more than just buying or wearing cute and colorful merchandise. So, before spending your dollars on rainbow products, consider these issues, and make smart decisions that will actually benefit the queer community. And as Fran says, "If we don't hold brands to better ideas and giving back to our community, then we will be one dimensional rainbow signs."

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How Fashion And Beauty Brands Are Capitalizing on Queerness By Selling Rainbow Pride Products

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In 2019, we've reached peak pride commercialization. Welcome to the era of rainbow capitalism.

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The timeline of the Gay Rights movement in the United States shows the community's progress and struggles.
The outbreak of aids was a massive crisis in the gay community. Multiple homosexual men were infected with HIV/AIDS resulting in death. Lack of education and treatment caused problems and a bad reputation for the gay community; many called it the "gay disease."
In modern society, treatments like PrEp can prevent the transmission of HIV. There's also an increase in education and awareness to eliminate the stigma of HIV.
One of the most pivotal moments in LGBTQ history is legalizing gay marriage. The first legal same-sex marriage occurred in May 2004 in Massachusetts. On December 13, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law.

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The Early Gay Rights Movement

In 1924, Henry Gerber, a German immigrant, founded in Chicago the Society for Human Rights, the first documented gay rights organization in the United States. During his U.S. Army service in World War I, Gerber was inspired to create his organization by the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, a "homosexual emancipation" group in Germany.

Gerber's small group published a few issues of its newsletter "Friendship and Freedom," the country's first gay-interest newsletter. Police raids caused the group to disband in 1925-but 90 years later, the U.S. government designated Gerber's Chicago house a National Historic Landmark.

The Pink Triangle

The gay rights movement stagnated for the next few decades, though LGBT individuals around the world did come into the spotlight a few times.

For example, English poet and author Radclyffe Hall stirred up controversy in 1928 when she published her lesbian-themed novel, The Well of Loneliness. And during World War II, the Nazis held homosexual men in concentration camps, branding them with the infamous pink triangle badge, which was also given to sexual predators.

Additionally, in 1948, in his book Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, Alfred Kinsey proposed that male sexual orientation lies on a continuum between exclusively homosexual to exclusively heterosexual.

The Homophile Years

In 1950, Harry Hay founded the Mattachine Foundation, one of the nation's first gay rights group. The Los Angeles organization coined the term "homophile," which was considered less clinical and focused on sexual activity than "homosexual."

Though it started off small, the foundation, which sought to improve the lives of gay men through discussion groups and related activities, expanded after founding member Dale Jennings was arrested in 1952 for solicitation and then later set free due to a deadlocked jury.

At the end of the year, Jennings formed another organization called One, Inc., which welcomed women and published ONE, the country's first pro-gay magazine. Jennings was ousted from One, Inc. in 1953 in part for being a communist-he and Harry Hay were also kicked out of the Mattachine Foundation for their communism-but the magazine continued.

In 1958, One, Inc. won a lawsuit against the U.S. Post Office, which in 1954 declared the magazine "obscene" and refused to deliver it.

The Mattachine Society

Mattachine Foundation members restructured the organization to form the Mattachine Society, which had local chapters in other parts of the country and in 1955 began publishing the country's second gay publication, The Mattachine Review. That same year, four lesbian couples in San Francisco founded an organization called the Daughters of Bilitis, which soon began publishing a newsletter called The Ladder, the first lesbian publication of any kind.

These early years of the movement also faced some notable setbacks: the American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a form of mental disorder in 1952.

The following year, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order that banned gay people-or, more specifically, people guilty of "sexual perversion"-from federal jobs. This ban would remain in effect for some 20 years.

Gay Rights in the 1960s

The gay rights movement saw some early progress In the 1960s. In 1961, Illinois became the first state to do away with its anti-sodomy laws, effectively decriminalizing homosexuality, and a local TV station in California aired the first documentary about homosexuality, called The Rejected.

In 1965, Dr. John Oliven, in his book Sexual Hygiene and Pathology, coined the term "transgender" to describe someone who was born in the body of the incorrect sex.

But more than 10 years earlier, transgender individuals entered the American consciousness when Christine Jorgensen came out as a trans woman, following gender confirmation surgery.

Despite this progress, LGBTQ individuals lived in a kind of urban subculture and were routinely subjected to harassment and persecution, such as in bars and restaurants. In fact, gay men and women in New York City could not be served alcohol in public due to liquor laws that considered the gathering of homosexuals to be "disorderly."

In fear of being shut down by authorities, bartenders would deny drinks to patrons suspected of being gay or kick them out altogether; others would serve them drinks but force them to sit facing away from other customers to prevent them from socializing.

In 1966, members of the Mattachine Society in New York City staged a " sip-in "-a twist on the "sit-in" protests of the 1960s-in which they visited taverns, declared themselves gay, and waited to be turned away so they could sue. They were denied service at the Greenwich Village tavern Julius, resulting in much publicity and the quick reversal of the anti-gay liquor laws.

The Stonewall Inn

A few years later, in 1969, a now-famous event catalyzed the gay rights movement: The Stonewall Riots.

The clandestine gay club Stonewall Inn was an institution in Greenwich Village because it was large, cheap, allowed dancing and welcomed drag queens and homeless youths.

But in the early hours of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn. Fed up with years of police harassment, patrons and neighborhood residents began throwing objects at police as they loaded the arrested into police vans. The scene eventually exploded into a full-blown riot, with subsequent protests that lasted for five more days.

Christopher Street Liberation Day

Shortly after the Stonewall uprising, members of the Mattachine Society split off to form the Gay Liberation Front, a radical group that launched public demonstrations, protests and confrontations with political officials.

Similar groups followed, including the Gay Activists Alliance, Radicalesbians, and Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (STAR).

In 1970, at the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, New York City community members marched through local streets in commemoration of the event. Named the Christopher Street Liberation Day, the march is now considered the country's first gay pride parade. Activists also turned the once-disreputable Pink Triangle into a symbol of gay pride.

LGBTQ Political Victories

The increased visibility and activism of LGBTQ individuals in the 1970s helped the movement make progress on multiple fronts. In 1977, for instance, the New York Supreme Court ruled that transgender woman Renée Richards could play at the United States Open tennis tournament as a woman.

Additionally, several openly LGBTQ individuals secured public office positions: Kathy Kozachenko won a seat to the Ann Harbor, Michigan, City Council in 1974, becoming the first out American to be elected to public office.

Harvey Milk, who campaigned on a pro-gay rights platform, became the San Francisco city supervisor in 1978, becoming the first openly gay man elected to a political office in California.

Milk asked Gilbert Baker, an artist and gay rights activist, to create an emblem that represents the movement and would be seen as a symbol of pride. Baker designed and stitched together the first rainbow flag, which he unveiled at a pride parade in 1978.

The following year, in 1979, more than 100,000 people took part in the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

Outbreak of AIDS

The outbreak of AIDS in the United States dominated the struggle for gay rights in the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report about five previously healthy homosexual men becoming infected with a rare type of pneumonia.

By 1984, researchers had identified the cause of AIDS-the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV-and the Food and Drug Administration licensed the first commercial blood test for HIV in 1985. Two years later, the first antiretroviral medication for HIV, azidothymidine (AZT), became available.

Gay rights proponents held the second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987. The occasion marked the first national coverage of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power), an advocacy group seeking to improve the lives of AIDS victims.

The World Health Organization in 1988 declared December 1 to be World AIDS Day. By the end of the decade, there were at least 100,000 reported cases of AIDS in the United States.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

In 1992, Bill Clinton, during his campaign to become president, promised he would lift the ban against gays in the military. But after failing to garner enough support for such an open policy, President Clinton in 1993 passed the " Don't Ask, Don't Tell " (DADT) policy, which allowed gay men and women to serve in the military as long as they kept their sexuality a secret.

Gay rights advocates decried the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, as it did little to stop people from being discharged on the grounds of their sexuality.

In 2011, President Obama fulfilled a campaign promise to repeal DADT; by that time, more than 12,000 officers had been discharged from the military under DADT for refusing to hide their sexuality. Don't Ask, Don't Tell was officially repealed on September 20, 2011.

Gay Marriage and Beyond

In 1992, the District of Columbia passed a law that allowed gay and lesbian couples to register as domestic partners, granting them some of the rights of marriage (the city of San Francisco passed a similar ordinance three years prior and California would later extend those rights to the entire state in 1999).

In 1993, the highest court in Hawaii ruled that a ban on gay marriage may go against the state's constitution. State voters disagreed, however, and in 1998 passed a law banning same-sex marriage.

Federal lawmakers also disagreed, and Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which Clinton signed into law in 1996. The law prevented the government from granting federal marriage benefits to same-sex couples and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriage certificates from other states.

Though marriage rights backtracked, gay rights advocates scored other victories. In 1994, a new anti-hate-crime law allowed judges to impose harsher sentences if a crime was motivated by a victim's sexual orientation.

The Matthew Shepard Act

In 2003, gay rights proponents had another bit of happy news: the U.S. Supreme Court, in Lawrence v. Texas, struck down the state's anti-sodomy law. The landmark ruling effectively decriminalized homosexual relations nationwide.

And in 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law a new hate crime act. Commonly known as the Matthew Shepard Act, the new law extended the reach of the 1994 hate crime law.

The act was a response to the 1998 murder of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, who was pistol-whipped, tortured, tied to a fence, and left to die. The murder was thought to be driven by Shepard's perceived homosexuality.

In 2011, President Obama fulfilled a campaign promise to repeal DADT; by that time, more than 12,000 officers had been discharged from the military under DADT for refusing to hide their sexuality.

A couple of years later, the Supreme Court ruled against Section 3 of DOMA, which allowed the government to deny federal benefits to married same-sex couples. DOMA soon become powerless, when in 2015 the Supreme Court ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, making gay marriage legal throughout the country.

Transgender Rights

One day after that landmark 2015 ruling, the Boy Scouts of America lifted its ban against openly gay leaders and employees. And in 2017, it reversed a century-old ban against transgender boys, finally catching up with the Girl Scouts of the USA, which had long been inclusive of LGBTQ leaders and children (the organization had accepted its first transgender Girl Scout in 2011).

In 2016, the U.S. military lifted its ban on transgender people serving openly, a month after Eric Fanning became secretary of the Army and the first openly gay secretary of a U.S. military branch. In March 2018, President Donald Trump announced a new transgender policy for the military that again banned most transgender people from military service. On January 25, 2021-his sixth day in office-President Biden signed an executive order overturning this ban.

Though LGBTQ Americans now have same-sex marriage rights and numerous other rights that seemed farfetched 100 years ago, the work of advocates is far from over.

Universal workplace anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ Americans is still lacking. Gay rights proponents must also content with an increasing number of "religious liberty" state laws, which allow business to deny service to LGBTQ individuals due to religious beliefs, as well as "bathroom laws" that prevent transgender individuals from using public bathrooms that don't correspond to their sex at birth. Additionally, several states have passed legislation targeting transgender youth (and, in Texas, their parents), preventing them from competing in school-sponsored athletics that correspond with their gender identity and accessing gender-affirming medical care.

Gay Marriage Legalized

Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage, and the first legal same-sex marriage was performed on May 17, 2004-a day when seventy-seven other couples across the state also tied the knot.

Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer wed in Ontario, Canada in 2007. The State of New York recognized the residents' marriage, but the federal government did not. When Spyer died in 2009, she left her estate to Windsor; since the couple's marriage was not federally recognized, Windsor didn't quality for tax exemption as a surviving spouse. Windsor sued the government in late 2010 in United States v. Windsor. Months later, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Barack Obama administration would no longer defend DOMA.

In 2012, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that DOMA violates the Constitution's equal protection clause, and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments for the case. The court ruled in favor of Windsor.

Gay marriage was finally ruled legal by the Supreme Court in June 2015. In Obergefell v. Hodges, the plaintiffs-led by Jim Obergefell, who sued because he was unable to put his name on his late husband's death certificate-argued that the laws violated the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy sided with Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan in favor of same-sex marriage rights, ultimately making gay marriage legal across the nation on June 2015. The ruling read, in part:

"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right."

On December 13, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law. The law requires that individual states recognize same-sex and interracial marriages that were lawfully performed in other states.

Sources

How WWI Sparked the Gay Rights Movement: Smithsonian.

First gay rights group in the US (1924): Chicago Tribune.

Chicago's Henry Gerber House Designated a National Historic Landmark: U.S. Department of the Interior.

Harry Hay, Early Proponent of Gay Rights, Dies at 90: The New York Times.

Transgender: Transgender Studies Quarterly.

American Psychological Association.

LGBT Rights Milestones Fast Facts: CNN.

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The gay rights movement in the United States began in the 1920s and saw huge progress in the 2000s, with laws prohibiting homosexual activity struck down and a Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.

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Gender-Affirming Care is access to hormone therapy and development for youth that want to align with their gender identity. Although, bans on gender-affirming care for youth have been banned in some states, including Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Dakota, Utah, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, and Texas. The report shows the number of youths denied access to gender-affirming care and its impacts on their health.

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Due to government efforts over the past two years, more than 58,000 transgender youth and young adults across 15 states are in jeopardy of losing access to gender-affirming care. In total, more than a thirdof the 150,000 transgender youth ages 13-17 in the U.S. live in the 15 states that have restricted access to gender-affirming care or are currently considering laws that would do so. More than 4,000 young adults ages 18 to 20 would also be at risk of losing access to gender-affirming care under the three proposed bills that would apply to young people over the age of 18.

In 2021, the Arkansas legislature enacted a ban on gender-affirming care for minors,aiming to restrict access to treatment for nearly 1,500 transgender youth in the state.

In February 2022, the governor of Texas issued an order restricting access to gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth-including the use of hormones to delay puberty and to promote physical development that is consistent with a child's gender identity. The order classifies the provision of gender-affirming care as "child abuse" and directs the state's Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate any reported instances of health care providers or parents who provide or seek out gender-affirming care for children.The order impacts as many as 13,800 transgender youth in the state. Both the Arkansas law and Texas order are currently being challenged in court.

As of March 2022, 13 other states are considering bills that would deny gender-affirming medical care to transgender youth.Access to gender-affirming care is in jeopardy for an additional estimated 42,950 transgender youth across these 13 states. State-specific estimates of the numbers of at-risk youth are provided in the table below.

The bills carry severe penalties for health care providers, and sometimes families, who provide or seek out gender-affirming care for minors. In each of these states, the bills would either criminalize health care providers who provide gender-affirming care to minors or subject them to discipline from state licensing boards.Bills in 10 states would also allow individuals to file civil suits for damages against medical providers who violate these laws.Bills in six states provide penalties for parents who facilitate minors' access to gender-affirming medical care.

About half of these bills would further limit access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth by barring certain insurance providers from offering coverage for gender-affirming care, by placing restrictions on the use of state funds or state facilities to provide this care, or by excluding gender-affirming care as a tax-deductible health care expense. Bills in seven states would prohibit certain health insurance plans from offering coverage for gender-affirming care.In eight states, bills would prohibit the use of state funds for gender-affirming care or more broadly prohibit distribution of state funds to any organization or individual that provides gender-affirming care to minors, seemingly regardless of what the funding is used for.In five states, bills would prohibit gender-affirming care by or in government-owned or operated facilities, and by individual providers employed by government entities.In four states, bills would exclude gender-affirming care as a tax-deductible health care expense.

Finally, a bill proposed in Missouri would attempt to limit access to gender-affirming care by classifying it as child abuse similar to the order recently issued in Texas.

Gender-affirming care, including the use of hormones to delay puberty and to promote the development of secondary sex characteristics that are consistent with a child's gender identity, is recommended for transgender youth by the American Academy of Pediatricians and the Endocrine Society and is viewed by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) as evidence-based patient care. Moreover, the American Medical Association supports insurance coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender people.

Research shows that gender-affirming care improves mental health and overall well-being for transgender people, including youth. A 2020 study published in Pediatrics found that access to pubertal suppression treatment was associated with lower odds of lifetime suicidal ideation among transgender adults. Similarly, research conducted by the Williams Institute concluded that risk of past-year suicide attempts was lower among transgender people who wanted and received gender-affirming medical care. More generally, research indicates that efforts to support transgender youth in living according to their internal sense of gender is associated with better mental health and feelings of safety at school, while efforts to change the gender identity of transgender people (i.e., conversion therapy) are associated with suicidality.

a Children under the age of 13 would be impacted by the proposed bills but are not counted here due to the lack of reliable estimates of the number of transgender children of this age. b North Carolina and Oklahoma's bills apply to people under the age of 21. c Alabama's bill applies to people under the age of 19.

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Prohibiting Gender-Affirming Medical Care for Youth

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Due to government efforts over the past two years, more than 58,000 transgender youth and young adults across 15 states are in jeopardy of losing access to gender-affirming care. In total, more than a thirdof the 150,000 transgender youth ages 13-17 in the U.S.

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An article on how medical schools should host more info sessions regarding the need for Transgender and Gender nonbinary doctors. Solutions include:

Vocalizing acceptance of any gender identity in medical schools.

Updating all medical schools to be gender-neutral environments.

Better training programs on transgender and gender nonbinary medicine.

With the population of TGNB individuals growing in society, these individuals must have access to Doctors who understand their health concerns.

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Editor's note: The opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the AAMC or its members.
We'd met in 2019 at a community health center, a month before I started medical school. Years of distress from gender dysphoria and constant bullying for being "effeminate" led Krystal - now in their mid-20s and working as a retail clerk - to come to the clinic to explore the gender transition process. While the doctor, therapist, and social worker tending to Krystal's health care needs agreed that transitioning would likely relieve some of Krystal's distress, a lack of health insurance was a major barrier.

But I knew that the medical school I was matriculating into had a low-cost clinic , so we exchanged numbers and I sent over all the details for them to consider. Ultimately, the long commute and other personal factors didn't make the clinic a good match.

In a 2018 matriculating student survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges, just identified as TGNB (about 100 out of nearly 14,500 respondents). Furthermore, these statistics don't shed any light on geographic distribution. Due to the discrimination and disparagement that TGNB medical students admittedly face during training , they likely migrate to just a few centers for training and practice, thus worsening TGNB patient care.

The need for that care is growing exponentially. Approximately 1.4 million Americans identify as transgender and gender nonbinary GLAAD survey from 2017 showed that nearly 12% of millennials identified as TGNB. And a 2020 survey from the Trevor Project found that 1 in 4 LGBTQ youth use pronouns or pronoun combinations that fall outside of the binary construction of gender.

Unfortunately, those who identify as TGNB are increasingly vulnerable and marginalized in their communities, which has translated into of depression, self-harm, homelessness, disordered substance use, and HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, with trans youth and racial/ethnic minorities being the most vulnerable. To make matters worse, health care settings have perpetuated intolerance . One in 5 TGNB patients has been denied access or treatment in a clinician's office , 30% have experienced disrespect and harassment, 2% have been physically assaulted, and have had to teach their clinicians about the care they need.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some studies have shown that transgender women with HIV are more susceptible to contracting the virus. And due to disruption in outpatient care, many TGNB individuals are unable to receive routine care , including gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy.

As medical schools serve a major gatekeeping role in diversifying the physician workforce and ultimately meeting the needs of vulnerable populations, there are a few ways in which medical schools can be actively engaged in improving TGNB visibility.

1. Medical schools need to do outreach to middle schools, high schools, and colleges to vocalize acceptance of any gender identity and convey what schools are doing to actively discourage harassment in training programs. There are several existing pipeline programs to improve ethnic diversity in medicine, including Weill Cornell Medicine's Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University's PULSE program . Similar programs could be launched to attract sexual and gender minorities.

2. Individuals who identify as transgender are more racially and ethnically diverse than the general U.S. population, with 16% identifying as Black and 21% identifying as Latino or Hispanic. Specific outreach to those communities will be critical.

1% of physicians identify as TGNB. Other practicing physicians admit to a gap in knowledge when it comes to even day-to-day care for TGNB patients. And yet the TGNB population is growing. As medical institutions, we need to do better. While the road ahead will be long, we can catalyze change by inspiring more individuals to apply and matriculate into medical school.

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We need more transgender and gender nonbinary doctors

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Just 1% of U.S. physicians self-identify as TGNB, yet the population of TGNB individuals is growing. They need doctors who understand their health concerns.

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Anti-queer protestors are entering businesses like Target to destroy their Pride displays. Based on the threats the company is receiving, they are pulling their pride displays from their Target locations. The Public saw this as "backtracking" and weak. It's important to support local queer businesses that genuinely support the LGBTQ community.

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It started with shirts emblazoned with slogans like, "Live Laugh Lesbian" and "Queer Queer Queer" getting tossed to the floor and it ended with a corporation putting its Pride display back in the closet. Amid a new wave of America's anti-queer culture war, Target literally became the target of a violent backlash. With this year's Pride month off to a rocky start, it may be time for queer activists to recenter the political origins of Pride, finding new hope in its disruptive nature.

Almost a decade after the legalization of same-sex marriage, America is once again awash in anti-queer rhetoric. Fueled by " groomer" narratives that falsely claim queer individuals are manipulating children into becoming deviants, blatant anti-queer sentiment has spread rapidly on social media and has driven acts of violence IRL at drag shows and public events. Recently, protesters have been recorded destroying Pride displays in Target stores across the country.

As threats against employees and stores started pouring in, Target pulled certain merchandise entirely. In some locations, the corporation relocated Pride displays to the back of stores where the items are no longer proud. The corporation's weak response signals a worrying future for queer liberation in America.

LGBTQ+ advocate and civil rights lawyer Sharon McGowan says that while this rise in anti-queer rhetoric is alarming, the backlash against civil rights advances is typically cyclical: "Periods of advancement in the civil rights of a historically marginalized community often galvanize those who are opposed to these advances," says McGowan, who held several roles in the Obama administration, served as the legal director for Lambda Legal, and now works as a partner at Katz Banks Kumin. This "leads to what people think of a backlash, but is really better understood as simply a regrouping or refortifying of the forces that were resisting this progress in the first place."

On Target's response to the backlash, McGowan views the issue as a both/and situation, explaining that, while "Target can and should take the safety of its employees into account in the face of anti-LGBTQ+ extremist violence," the main question is "how a company of the size and stature of Target...responds in the face of anti-LGBTQ+ vitriol."

For years, corporations have taken advantage of hard-fought and sorely won LGBTQ+ acceptance. This phenomenon is known as "rainbow capitalism": Corporations stand to profit from the purchasing power of the pink dollar, so they release targeted campaigns and merchandise to signal their support of the queer community. The catch? They rarely put their money where their mouth is. For example, the "Fab 5" in Netflix's Queer Eye collaborated with Walmart to release a home goods collection despite the fact that members of the Walton Family Foundation donated $158,000 to Republican causes and candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Of course, the growing popularity and acceptance of this merchandise is undeniably an indication of desperately needed progress. McGowan points out that easily accessible merchandise like a Target Pride shirt "may be an important point of entry for someone who wants to express allyship when they learn that a friend or family member is coming out" or when they want to fight against anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives. Yet, however well-designed and exciting the LGBTQ+ merch is, the corporations themselves may quickly pivot depending on which consumer base they believe has more power.

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The Target Pride Drama Represents the Problem With Rainbow Capitalism

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It started with shirts emblazoned with slogans like, "Live Laugh Lesbian" and "Queer Queer Queer" getting tossed to the floor and it ended with a corporation putting its Pride display back in the closet. Amid a new wave of America's anti-queer culture war, Target literally became the target of a violent backlash.

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Video on how the gay rights movement began. Police raided Stonewall on June 28, 1969; they entered the club to harass LGBTQ individuals and arrested a few. The riot lasted for a few days and turned into a movement for gay liberation. The Stonewall riots inspired other LGBTQ movements, resulting in marriage equality for LGBTQ couples in 30 countries and anti-discrimination laws 50 years later.

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The Stonewall Riots: How the gay rights movement began

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Stonewall Forever - A Documentary about the Past, Present and Future of Pride

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Religion & LGBTQ Acceptance - Research and data from Pew Research Center

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Research and data on Religion & LGBTQ Acceptance from Pew Research Center

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Article about how schools should implement LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum to provide and support LGBTQ youth with resources and knowledge. It promotes the health and well-being of students and creates a positive environment that can reduce bullying and violence.

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Why an LGBTQ-Inclusive Curriculum?

Adolescence is a critical period in a young person's cognitive, emotional, and identity development. Research shows that a young person's experiences in school can have a particularly important influence on their academic and social-emotional growth, physical health, and mental well-being. Providing students with a quality education includes facilitating a positive school climate and implementing social and emotional supports that foster healthy developmental outcomes. For LGBTQ youth, these supports can be particularly important to make certain that they achieve their full potential. Lack of such support can adversely affect their academic motivation and can lead to sadness, feelings of disconnectedness, and even suicidal ideation. When LGBTQ students perceived their schools to be as safe as did straight cisgender students, the disparities in outcomes were reduced, though not eliminated. Although these relationships are correlational and not necessarily causal, they do suggest that improved feelings of safety at school would improve outcomes for LGBTQ students. Several studies report that an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum promotes a positive school environment and student well-being. For example, students in California who learned about LGBTQ issues at school reported less teasing and bullying of LGBTQ students.

One way schools can help address stigma and discrimination and reduce risky sexual behavior among LGBTQ youth is to ensure that they have the same access to relevant sexual health education as their straight, cisgender peers-for example, by including LGBTQ-relevant information as a part of education about HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy prevention. Research has also shown that forming Gay-Straight Alliances and instituting anti-discrimination and anti-bullying policies can create a more positive school environment. But those initiatives, however helpful, cannot erase the risks faced by LGBTQ students. LGBTQ-inclusive academics, accessible to all youth, can compensate for some of the void left by other interventions.

According to studies, students perceived the school environment as being safer when provided with LGBTQ-inclusive information in both academic subjects and health education. They also reported less victimization based on their sexual orientation in schools that teach an LGBTQ-inclusive academic curriculum. The Trevor Project, a national organization focused on LGBTQ suicide prevention, found that a positive school environment made a larger impact on students' lives than similarly positive environments at home, work, or elsewhere in the community. By contrast, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that, where state laws restricted the content educators shared in their classrooms, they were discouraged from providing other support for LGBTQ students. Students from these states reported that their schools had less supportive anti-bullying policies and provided less access to Gay-Straight Alliances and relevant health sources.

Adopted Laws

California passed legislation requiring that the curriculum include information about the contributions and roles of LGBTQ Americans ". . . to the economic, political, and social development of California and the United States of America, with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society." Known as the FAIR (Fair Accurate Inclusive and Respectful) Education Act, it was the first such legislation adopted in the United States, in 2011.

According to Equality California and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, the purpose of the FAIR Education Act was to end the exclusion of LGBTQ history in education and to promote school safety. In addition to adding instruction in the social sciences, the bill prohibited teachers from "instructing, or a school district from sponsoring, any activity that promotes discriminatory bias on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual orientation." A California Safe Schools Coalition study showed that inclusion of LGBTQ people in instructional materials is linked to greater student safety at school for both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ students and lower rates of bullying. Where the contributions of the LGBTQ community were included in educational instruction, bullying declined by over half, and LGBTQ students were more likely to feel they have an opportunity to make positive contributions at school.

In 2019, Colorado, New Jersey, and Oregon all passed similar laws, and Illinois followed. Nevada is the most recent state to pass a law mandating LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum and uniquely requires that age-appropriate, inclusive history be taught beginning in kindergarten.

However, as of May 2020, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas required that when sexual education refers to LGBTQ individuals and relationships, it is negative. Five states and the District of Columbia mandate that education about LGBTQ sexual health and relationships remain neutral. Six states have LGBTQ-inclusive health education curricula that foster positive relationships: California, Colorado, Oregon, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington. Laws that require LGBTQ-inclusive sex education curricula vary significantly. In Rhode Island, the curriculum must stress abstinence but also include instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. Colorado's Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education law prohibits the exclusion of LGBTQ-inclusive content and also prohibits an abstinence-only course of study. Rhode Island's approach is "opt-out," meaning that parents may view the curriculum in advance and remove their child by written request to the principal. New Jersey, a state with legislation requiring LGBTQ-inclusive sexual education and other critical topics like consent, sexting, and sexual abuse and prevention, is likewise an "opt-out" state.

States That Prohibit Positive Discussion of LGBTQ Identity

As of October 2018, Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas followed statewide policy requiring schools to teach information related to homosexuality in a negative light, including harmful stereotypes regarding HIV/AIDS risk and arguments that being gay is unnatural and immoral. This puts LGBTQ youth at greater risk of mental health disparities and victimization by peers, and legislation is needed to provide them respite from the hostile school environment. These laws are especially harmful, for they stigmatize LGBTQ youth by providing false, misleading, or incomplete information to the entire student population.

Over the last 15 years, some states re-evaluated their laws prohibiting positive portrayals of homosexuality, and some laws have been amended, repealed, or overturned by the courts. However, other states are considering introducing them for the first time. In 2006, the North Carolina state legislature amended the state's legislation to remove the prohibition against discussing homosexuality in health education classes. In October 2016, Equality Utah sued the State Board of Education challenging the state law banning positive speech in schools about LGBTQ people. In response, language preventing positive portrayals of LGBTQ people was stricken from the legislation the next year. In April 2019, the Arizona state legislature repealed the state's law prohibiting AIDS and HIV-related instruction that portrayed homosexuality in a positive light.

One year later, South Carolina's law was overturned when the U.S. District Court ruled in GSA v. Spearman that the state's law "cannot satisfy any level of judicial review under the Equal Protection Clause."

Opponents of LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum label such instruction "controversial" and request that students be able to opt out, arguing that it denies their freedom to raise their children as they see fit. Tennessee currently has a bill in committee, HB 800, that deems textbooks and instructional materials "that promote, normalize, support, or address controversial social issues, such as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) lifestyles" inappropriate and offensive to Christian values. The Iowa state legislature recently considered but did not adopt a bill that would have allowed parents to opt-out their elementary school students from gender identity instruction.

ABA Resolution 21A515

In 2021, the American Bar Association adopted Resolution 21A515 urging state, local, territorial and tribal legislatures, education officials, and school boards to include information about the historical and social contributions of LGBTQ individuals in curricula of publicly funded elementary and secondary schools, as well as age-appropriate LGBTQ-inclusive sexual health education in the curricula of publicly funded elementary and secondary schools to promote public health best practices and improve youth mental health outcomes. This resolution was passed by an overwhelming majority.

Conclusion

The law has a central role in promoting public health. Ninety percent of American youth attend public schools. A growing body of scientific, psychological, and social-scientific evidence shows that an LGBTQ-inclusive education benefits the health and well-being of all students, not only LGBTQ-identifying youth who represent at least 10 percent of the public school population in the United States (that is, 5 million students). Allowing students to opt out of LGBTQ inclusive education undermines the goal of fostering acceptance, reducing bullying and violence, and improving LGBTQ youth mental health. Laws that prohibit any positive portrayal of LGBTQ individuals foster a hostile culture beset by bullying and physical violence toward LGBTQ students, leading to poor health outcomes for a population already at risk.

Call To Action

GLSEN, the Human Rights Campaign, and SIECUS, among other organizations, are calling on parents, youth, educators, and policymakers to act by:

1. Advocating for LGBTQ-inclusive sex education.

2. Implementing LGBTQ-inclusive sex education in schools, community settings, and online.

3. Talking to their own youth about sex and sexuality.

4. Working to remove state-level barriers to LGBTQ-inclusive sex education in schools and require inclusive programs.

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LGBTQ-Inclusive Curriculum as a Path to Better Public Health

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Adolescence is a critical period in a young person's cognitive, emotional, and identity development. Research shows that a young person's experiences in school can have a particularly important influence on their academic and social-emotional growth, physical health, and mental well-being.

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A video of transgender Oregonians sharing their awful healthcare experiences.
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Transgender individuals are mistreated and encounter severe discrimination daily. In institutions like Healthcare systems, transgender individuals lack access to proper medical care. Barriers include; medical providers not being properly trained in transgender medicine, lack of insurance coverage, and electronic records systems not identifying transgender individuals appropriately.

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Every June, queer people across the internet - especially on Twitter and, more recently, TikTok - engage in an important Pride tradition: dunking on the year's overwhelming and nauseating display of rainbow capitalism. Also known as "pink capitalism" or "pinkwashing," rainbow capitalism is a term used to describe the commercialization and commodification of LGBTQ movements, most notably Pride.

In the same way that whitewashing and greenwashing absorb historical and environmental struggles, rainbow capitalism exploits marginalized communities by turning them into markets, selling them back to them as a product, and commodifying pretty much everything about every part of their lives. Rainbow capitalism's flattening of the LGBTQ struggle is the reason why so many people are unaware of the roles of Black and brown trans women in creating Pride - despite the fact that the month-long celebration is meant to commemorate them. Rainbow capitalism is why Pride month is one of the spirit-and-alcohol industry's biggest promotional seasons, despite the disproportionately high rates of substance abuse among LGBTQ people. But perhaps most importantly - and disrespectfully - rainbow capitalism has produced some of the most offensively ugly branding out there.

Take, for example, Red Lobster's recent Instagram post featuring the beloved Cheddar Bay Biscuits adorned in the most miserable rainbow filter: Is it an earnest attempt to appeal to queer consumers? Or, could it be a meme commenting on the absurd lengths rainbow capitalism will go to profit off queer struggles? It almost doesn't matter, it's so tasteless; it's cringe.

One of this year's most destabilizing specimens of rainbow capitalism happened when Mean Girls actor Jonathan Bennet (he played Aaron Samuels) announced his engagement to Jaymes Vaughan and went on Twitter to promote the engagement ring. The ring is available to purchase through Kay Jewelers, and is named "Our Ring," Bennet explains, "not just because it's me and Jaymes', but it's 'Our Ring' because it's for the entire community," adding that "if you are gay and part of the LGBT + community" you can go get this ring. Is this as bad as this wildly homophobic 2017 Tweet from Chipotle? Hard to say, but that Chipotle tweet is always worth revisiting because it's so bad.

Leave it to the LGBTQ community's Very-Online Unit to turn these hopeless ads into comedy gold. The reaction to the corporate world's embarrassing efforts to bond with *the gays* almost justifies the "Homo Estás" of it all. These responses aren't even aimed at any one brand, necessarily, but just speak to the general mess that is rainbow capitalism, in general. For example, in a Tweet that would be viral in a just world, writer Emma Specter stated: "i can't finish unless a brand has JUST wished me happy pride." And, a TikToker by the username of @angelmamii is seen walking up to the camera, rainbow-faced, and declares: "Courage... is being yourself... every day... and with your sexuality..." before burdening us with a soliloquy of buzzwords. On Twitter, Jes Tom, a standup comic best-known for hosting Netflix's Instagram show Dear Jes, received an unsolicited merch box that prompted them to re-examine their life as a queer influencer. It was the muscle shirt that read "Ask me about my pronouns" that triggered the existential dread, Tom tweeted: "become a queer influencer, they said, it comes with the worst merch on earth."

But, what kind of kink would move brands to submit themself to the humiliation and degradation of getting dragged on the internet by vicious queers? I asked an advertising industry pro, who specializes in logo design and branding, to find out exactly why a brand would go out of its way to present us so poorly. Drew* is an art director at an advertising agency and said: "There is a lot of social pressure for brands to do something for every single awareness month - especially now in the culture that we live in," adding that "if you don't do it, it calls more attention to your brand than if you do do it." This impulse to take a stand, even if you don't stand for anything, speaks to a larger cultural misunderstanding of what accountability means. It's the same thinking that demanded influencers take a stand on the humanitarian crisis in Palestine - even if this meant that people rushed into spreading unverified information - and even misinformation.Drew also noted that there are limits to how authentic a brand can seem when participating in rainbow capitalism, explaining that while changing the colors of the logo is an easy way to acknowledge the moment, it can feel synthetic - especially when it comes from brands that have caused more harm than good.

Brands like these are called out in more confrontational memes, which show rainbow logos of companies like AT&T, Pfizer, and General Electric next to a one-line statement of how many millions they've each donated to anti-LGBTQ politicians, and reminds us that, yes, while these bungled attempts to appeal to LGBTQ consumers are funny, they're also, all too often, transparent cover-ups. This is why the best trashing of rainbow capitalism might have come from singer-songwriter and performance artist of a generation, Dorian Electra, who released Pride merch this year consisting of a white T-shirt emblazoned with a slew of rainbow logos, from NYPD and Infowars to Disney and the CIA. All four institutions (along with most of the others on that shirt) have long and storied histories of antagonizing and brutalizing the LGBTQ community, so their inclusion in this T-shirt is as much a gag as a declaration: We know what you're up to. We see right through you.

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The Best Part Of Pride Is Making Fun Of Rainbow Capitalism

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Every June, queer people across the internet - especially on Twitter and, more recently, TikTok - engage in an important Pride tradition: dunking on the year's overwhelming and nauseating display of rainbow capitalism. Also known as "pink capitalism" or "pinkwashing," rainbow capitalism is a term used to describe the commercialization and commodification of LGBTQ movements, most notably Pride.

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Rainbow Capitalism
Also known as pink capitalism, during June 'Pride Month, Corporations or Companies will claim they support the LGBTQ+ community, but they only brand their products with Pride Themes to earn profit and capitalize on the movement.
For this reason, this negatively impacts the progress of the LGBTQ+ movement. Big corporations only care about making money and not the well-being of their LGBTQ+ employees. If they genuinely support the community, they would eliminate income inequality and fight for LGBTQ+ rights daily, not just during the month through products.

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Social stigma, higher unemployment and inadequate safe living spaces makes them more vulnerable to environmental catastrophes

We are at a defining moment when it comes to climate change. Its impacts are global in scope and unparalleled, ranging from changing weather patterns threatening food production to increasing sea levels that heighten the risks of severe flooding.

Today, it would be more complex and expensive to respond to these impacts without drastic intervention.

Climate change is going to affect every one of us on the planet but its effect will not be the same for all.

It affects different people differently on the basis of various factors which are majorly based on social responsibilities, especially cultural and social norms. Most of these social norms are been defined by gender.

Based on the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is evident that people who are already most vulnerable and marginalised will experience the greatest impacts of climate change.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and ally (LGBTQIA+) community is one such group, which, because of its social vulnerability, is a hidden victim of climate change to a wide extent.

LGBTQIA+ individuals are uniquely vulnerable to exclusion, violence and exploitation because of the cumulative impacts of social stigma, discrimination and hatred. The social stigma around the LGBTQIA+ community also makes several social opportunities and infrastructure unavailable to them.

LGBTQ persons are vulnerable to homelessness as they are often forced to leave their homes due to conflict with the family, violence or threats of violence or abuse.

The precarious economic and physical conditions that often affect homeless persons may also lead LGBTQ individuals to choose sex work and begging, despite the risk of criminal prosecution, as a means to meet their basic needs. This further exposes them to hostility and abuse from police and municipal authorities and makes it difficult to access government services.

Property owners often refuse to rent out their property to individuals of this community based on their real or imputed sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). This discrimination pushes them to seek safe living spaces and communities in which they can find support and acceptance.

Living in segregated locations reduces the risk of discrimination and harassment from neighbours and landlords. These new neighborhoods, which may not disturb integrity of living, could lead them to dilapidated conditions where the risk of climate hazards are severe.

Homeless people and those with inadequate housing will be strongly be affected by any natural calamity and also are clear victims of temperature rise and polluted air.

During an interview with International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), a transwoman from Chennai said:

"..With the upcoming monsoons, there will be heavy rains in Chennai and my house will also be flooded, because of which I can't even invite any of my friends from the community to my home. It's very difficult for a transgender person to get a house in the city, to make the house-owners understand. Hence, whatever be the issue, I'll stick with my current house because there's some understanding with its owner."

The unemployment rate among transgender people is thrice that of the general population and even higher for the black transgender people. This puts them at a greater risk of poverty and homelessness.

All of these conditions add up to them being much less equipped to face increasing environmental catastrophes brought about by climate change.

Also, prior to a disaster, members of the LGBTQ community may not have access to the same assets, resources and information as the general population because of potential exclusion, isolation and restricted social networks. This can affect resilience and how a person might experience a climate shock.

The roots of climate change are tied with the roots of multiple oppressions. Climate change raises the hardships of trans and queer people worldwide.

Because of this, we agree that queer liberation must be held up as a core concept of climate justice organising. The queer community has struggled for the longest time for their rights and visibility. Hence, they possess a strong urge to fight and knowledge of climate change.

To achieve safety and justice for the LGBTQIA+ community, climate justice must be realised. And for that, queer liberation must be lifted up in movements that address environmental crises.

Views expressed are the author's own and don't necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth

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How climate change is affecting the LGBTQIA+ community

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Social stigma, higher unemployment and inadequate safe living spaces makes them more vulnerable to environmental catastrophes

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A timeline of the American Gay Rights Movement

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Stonewall Uprising | Timeline

Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement

From the Collection: The LGBTQ+ experience

Gay rights demonstration at the Democratic National Convention, New York City, 1976. Library of Congress

December 10, 1924
The Society for Human Rights is founded by Henry Gerber in Chicago. The society is the first gay rights organization as well as the oldest documented in America. After receiving a charter from the state of Illinois, the society publishes the first American publication for homosexuals, Friendship and Freedom. Soon after its founding, the society disbands due to political pressure.

1948
Biologist and sex researcher Alfred Kinsey publishes Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. From his research Kinsey concludes that homosexual behavior is not restricted to people who identify themselves as homosexual and that 37% of men have enjoyed homosexual activities at least once. While psychologists and psychiatrists in the 1940s consider homosexuality a form of illness, the findings surprise many conservative notions about sexuality.

November 11, 1950
In Los Angeles, gay rights activist Harry Hay founds America's first sustained national gay rights organization. In an attempt to change public perception of homosexuality, the Mattachine Society aims to "eliminate discrimination, derision, prejudice and bigotry," to assimilate homosexuals into mainstream society, and to cultivate the notion of an "ethical homosexual culture."

December 15, 1950
A Senate report titled "Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Perverts in Government" is distributed to members of Congress after the federal government had covertly investigated employees' sexual orientation at the beginning of the Cold War. The report states since homosexuality is a mental illness, homosexuals "constitute security risks" to the nation because "those who engage in overt acts of perversion lack the emotional stability of normal persons."

Over the previous few years, more than 4,380 gay men and women had been discharged from the military and around 500 fired from their jobs with the government. The purging will become known as the "lavender scare."

April, 1952
The American Psychiatric Association lists homosexuality as a sociopathic personality disturbance in its first publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Immediately following the manual's release, many professionals in medicine, mental health and social sciences criticize the categorization due to lack of empirical and scientific data.

April 27, 1953
President Dwight Eisenhower signs Executive Order 10450, banning homosexuals from working for the federal government or any of its private contractors. The Order lists homosexuals as security risks, along with alcoholics and neurotics.

September 21, 1955
In San Francisco, the Daughters of Bilitis becomes the first lesbian rights organization in the United States. The organization hosts social functions, providing alternatives to lesbian bars and clubs, which are frequently raided by police.

August 30, 1956
American psychologist Evelyn Hooker shares her paper "The Adjustment of the Male Overt Homosexual" at the American Psychological Association Convention in Chicago. After administering psychological tests, such as the Rorschach, to groups of homosexual and heterosexual males, Hooker's research concludes homosexuality is not a clinical entity and that heterosexuals and homosexuals do not differ significantly. Hooker's experiment becomes very influential, changing clinical perceptions of homosexuality.

January 13, 1958
In the landmark case One, Inc. v. Olesen, the United States Supreme Court rules in favor of the First Amendment rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) magazine "One: The Homosexual Magazine." The suit was filed after the U.S. Postal Service and FBI declared the magazine obscene material, and it marks the first time the United States Supreme Court rules in favor of homosexuals.

January 1, 1962
Illinois repeals its sodomy laws, becoming the first U.S. state to decriminalize homosexuality.

July 4, 1965
At Independence Hall in Philadelphia, picketers begin staging the first Reminder Day to call public attention to the lack of civil rights for LGBT people. The gatherings will continue annually for five years.

April 21, 1966
Members of the Mattachine Society stage a "sip-in" at the Julius Bar in Greenwich Village, where the New York Liquor Authority prohibits serving gay patrons in bars on the basis that homosexuals are "disorderly." Society president Dick Leitsch and other members announce their homosexuality and are immediately refused service.

Following the sip-in, the Mattachine Society will sue the New York Liquor Authority. Although no laws are overturned, the New York City Commission on Human Rights declares that homosexuals have the right to be served.

August, 1966
After transgender customers become raucous in a 24-hour San Francisco cafeteria, management calls police. When a police officer manhandles one of the patrons, she throws coffee in his face and a riot ensues, eventually spilling out onto the street, destroying police and public property.

Following the riot, activists established the National Transsexual Counseling Unit, the first peer-run support and advocacy organization in the world.

June 28, 1969
Patrons of the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village riot when police officers attempt to raid the popular gay bar around 1am. Since its establishment in 1967, the bar had been frequently raided by police officers trying to clean up the neighborhood of "sexual deviants."

Angry gay youth clash with aggressive police officers in the streets, leading to a three-day riot during which thousands of protestors receive only minimal local news coverage. Nonetheless, the event will be credited with reigniting the fire behind America's modern LGBT rights movement.

June 28, 1970
Christopher St. Liberation Day commemorates the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Following the event, thousands of members of the LGBT community march through New York into Central Park, in what will be considered America's first gay pride parade.

In the coming decades, the annual gay pride parade will spread to dozens of countries around the world.

December 15, 1973
The board of the American Psychiatric Association votes to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.

January, 1974
Kathy Kozachenko becomes the first openly gay American elected to public office when she wins a seat on the Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council.

June 7, 1977
Singer and conservative Southern Baptist Anita Bryant leads a successful campaign with the "Save Our Children" Crusade to repeal a gay rights ordinance in Dade County, Florida. Bryant faces severe backlash from gay rights supporters across the U.S. The gay rights ordinance will not be reinstated in Dade County until December 1, 1998, more than 20 years later.

November 8, 1977
Harvey Milk wins a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and is responsible for introducing a gay rights ordinance protecting gays and lesbians from being fired from their jobs. Milk also leads a successful campaign against Proposition 6, an initiative forbidding homosexual teachers.

A year later, on November 27, 1978, former city supervisor Dan White assassinates Milk. White's actions are motivated by jealousy and depression, rather than homophobia.

May 21, 1979
Dan White is convicted of voluntary manslaughter and is sentenced to seven years in prison. Outraged by what they believed to be a lenient sentence, more than 5,000 protesters ransack San Francisco's City Hall, doing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property damage in the surrounding area.

The following night, approximately 10,000 people gather on San Francisco's Castro and Market streets for a peaceful demonstration to commemorate what would have been Milk's 49th birthday.

October 14, 1979
An estimated 75,000 people participate in the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. LGBT people and straight allies demand equal civil rights and urge for the passage of protective civil rights legislature.

July 8, 1980
The Democratic Rules Committee states that it will not discriminate against homosexuals. At their National Convention on August 11-14, the Democrats become the first major political party to endorse a homosexual rights platform.

July 3, 1981
The New York Times prints the first story of a rare pneumonia and skin cancer found in 41 gay men in New York and California. The CDC initially refers to the disease as GRID, Gay Related Immune Deficiency Disorder.

When the symptoms are found outside the gay community, Bruce Voeller, biologist and founder of the National Gay Task Force, successfully lobbies to change the name of the disease to AIDS.

March 2, 1982
Wisconsin becomes the first U.S. state to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

March 10, 1987
AIDS advocacy group ACT UP (The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) is formed in response to the devastating affects the disease has had on the gay and lesbian community in New York. The group holds demonstrations against pharmaceutical companies profiteering from AIDS-related drugs as well as the lack of AIDS policies protecting patients from outrageous prescription prices.

October 11, 1987
Hundreds of thousands of activists take part in the National March on Washington to demand that President Ronald Reagan address the AIDS crisis.

Although AIDS had been reported first in 1981, it is not until the end of his presidency that Reagan speaks publicly about the epidemic.

May - June, 1988
The CDC mails a brochure, Understanding AIDS, to every household in the U.S. Approximately 107 million brochures are mailed.

December 1, 1988
The World Health Organization organizes the first World AIDS Day to raise awareness of the spreading pandemic.

August 18, 1990
President george Bushsigns the Ryan White Care Act, a federally funded program for people living with AIDS. Ryan White, an Indiana teenager, contracted AIDS in 1984 through a tainted hemophilia treatment. After being barred from attending school because of his HIV-positive status, Ryan White becomes a well-known activist for AIDS research and anti-discrimination.

1991
Created by the New York-based Visual AIDS, the red ribbon is adopted as a symbol of awareness and compassion for those living with HIV/AIDS.

December 21, 1993
The Department of Defense issues a directive prohibiting the U.S. Military from barring applicants from service based on their sexual orientation. "Applicants... shall not be asked or required to reveal whether they are homosexual, " states the new policy, which still forbids applicants from engaging in homosexual acts or making a statement that he or she is homosexual. This policy is known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

May 20, 1996
In the case of Romer v. Evans, the United States Supreme Court decides that Colorado's 2nd amendment, denying gays and lesbians protections against discrimination, is unconstitutional, calling them "special rights."

September 21, 1996
President Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act into law. The law defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman and that no state is required to recognize a same-sex marriage from out of state.

April 1, 1998
Coretta Scott King, widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., calls on the civil rights community to join the struggle against homophobia. She receives criticism from members of the black civil rights movement for comparing civil rights to gay rights.

April 26, 2000
Vermont becomes the first state in the U.S. to legalize civil unions and registered partnerships between same-sex couples.

June 26, 2003
In Lawrence v. Texas the U.S. Supreme Court rules that sodomy laws in the U.S. are unconstitutional.

May 18, 2004
Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize gay marriage. The court finds the prohibition of gay marriage unconstitutional because it denies dignity and equality of all individuals.

In the following six years, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Iowa and Washington D.C. will follow suit.

August 9, 2007
Sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, the Logo cable channel hosts the first American presidential forum focusing specifically on LGBT issues, inviting each presidential candidate. Six Democrats participate in the forum, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, while all Republican candidates decline.

November 4, 2008
California voters approve Proposition 8, making same-sex marriage in California illegal. The passing of the ballot garners national attention from gay-rights supporters across the U.S. Prop 8 inspires the NOH8 campaign, a photo project that uses celebrities to promote marriage equality.

June 17, 2009
President Obama signs a Presidential Memorandum allowing same-sex partners of federal employees to receive certain benefits. The memorandum does not cover full health coverage.

October 28, 2009
The Matthew Shepard Act is passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on October 28th. The measure expands the 1969 U.S. Federal Hate Crime Law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Matthew Shepard was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming on October 7, 1998 because of his sexual orientation.

August 4, 2010
A federal judge in San Francisco decides that gays and lesbians have the constitutional right to marry and that Prop 8 is unconstitutional. Lawyers will challenge the finding.

December 18, 2010
The U.S. Senate votes 65-31 to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. Military.

February 23, 2011
President Obama states his administration will no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans the recognition of same-sex marriage.

June 24, 2011
New York State passes the Marriage Equity Act, becoming the largest state thus far to legalize gay marriage.

June 26, 2015
With a 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court declares same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

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Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement | American Experience | PBS

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In 1924, the first gay rights organization is founded by Henry Gerber in Chicago.

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Articles about the ballroom scene. A safe space for LGBTQ minorities during the racial/homophobia tension in America. In addition, shows like RuPaul's Drag Race has increased visibility to the LGBTQ community and allowed gay, queer, and trans individuals to express themselves however they would like.

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For decades, ballroom, ball or house culture has been a way for queer blacks and Latinos to live their best lives - that is, to figure out how to respond to a society that devalued their lives and attempted to erase their presence. Through elaborate performances incorporating and commenting on race, class and gender, the ball community has historically reflected the American Dream and one's exclusion from it.

With their groundbreaking musical drama Pose, FX and Ryan Murphy attempt to explore what life was like for gay, trans, and gender non-conforming individuals in New York's ballroom community in the mid-1980s, before the culture crossed over into the mainstream, as facilitated and appropriated by, among others, Madonna's " Vogue" and Jennie Livingston's Paris Is Burning.

Between "Vogue" and Pose, RuPaul's Drag Race has managed to fill the generational gap, bringing the ballroom to television's main stage, and piling up ratings and awards in the process. What emerged from, in the words of Langston Hughes, the "strangest and gaudiest of all Harlem spectacles in the '20s" is no longer a reflection of the ever-declining American Dream, but rather a more fabulous alternative to it.

But how does everyone and their grandmother know what throwing shade is? How come little white girls in Europe are voguing the house down? And how did a show starring predominantly black and brown queer and trans people become one of the most anticipated television events of the year? Because at a time when the rights and freedoms of queer people of color are increasingly at risk, the history of ball and house culture is more vital than ever.

"A Keenness for Blond Wigs"
The Hamilton Lodge No. 710, a club for well-to-do African-Americans, started throwing a charity masquerade gala, the Annual Odd Fellows Ball, around 1867- 69. Featuring men in female drag and women in male drag, the event was later known as the "Faggots Ball" or the "Fairies Ball." Prizes would be given out for most beautiful gown and " most perfect feminine body displayed by an impersonator. "

Though held in Harlem, often at the Rockland Palace, the ball attracted people from all over the country. An 1886 article in the black newspaper The New York Freeman, later known as the New York Age, called it "the event of the season." The 1929 ball reportedly had to turn away some 2,000 would-be spectators and the 1936 ball had 8,000 attendees.

Although the Hamilton Lodge was a "colored organization, there were many white people present and they danced with and among the colored people," wrote the New York Age in 1926. The paper went on to describe the "fairies" and "Bohemians from the Greenwich Village" who "took the occasion to mask as women for the affair....in their gorgeous evening gowns, wigs and powdered faces [they] were hard to distinguish from many of the women." In a sign of every time, a 1932 article from The Afro-American noted that "our members of the third sex are showing a keenness for blond wigs."

A 1927 New York Age article describes the judging process and a "grand march" which led to "several eliminations" and six prizes being awarded, adding "the police did not find it necessary to raid." The 1938 soiree wasn't so lucky, as a New York Age headline yelped: "Fifteen Arrested By Police as 'Fairies' Turn 'Em On." They were charged with "offering to commit lewd acts."

Though members of the Lodge sought " a racially and economically diverse audience," and lowered the price of admission so black Harlem residents could attend, the balls still exploited racial and class divisions. Langston Hughes, in his autobiography The Big Sea, calls the ball the " strangest and gaudiest of Harlem spectacles," and describes how the city's "intelligentsia and social leaders" would "look down from above at the queerly assorted throng on the dancefloor, males in flowing gowns and feathered headdresses and females in tuxedoes [ sic] and box-back suits."

George Chauncey calls this the codification of "the differences between the public styles of middle-class and working-class gay men" in his book, Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World. "Middle-class men passing as straight sat in the balcony with other members of Harlem's social elite looking down on the spectacle of working men in drag."

Black queens were expected to whiten their faces if they expected to win prizes, as is implied in the 1968 documentary, The Queen, by Frank Simon, which follows the 1967 All-American Camp Beauty Contest. In its most famous scene, Crystal LaBeija accuses the contest of being rigged by Flawless Sabrina, who serves as the contest emcee and the doc's narrator, in favor of her "protégé" Harlow.

"It was our goal then to look like white women," Pepper LaBeija told Michael Cunningham. "They used to tell me, 'You have negroid features,' and I'd say, 'That's all right, I have white eyes.' That's how it was back then."

A House Is a Home
Due to increasing racial tension, both in the ball community and in America as a whole, black queens began seeking out their own spaces. Marcel Christian (LaBeija) is credited with staging the first black drag ball in 1962.This splintering of the community led to the formation of "houses."

The House of LaBeija may have been the very first house, founded in either 1970 or 1972, though accounts differ. As legend has it, a Harlem drag queen named Lottie asked Crystal LaBeija to co-promote a ball. Lottie convinced Crystal, always a stickler for self-promotion, to do the ball by suggesting she start her own group, the House of LaBeija, wherein Crystal would be the "Mother." The house then became a surrogate family for young queer black and Latino kids, who were often estranged from their biological families, living on the street, turning tricks, or otherwise struggling to get by.

Soon, other houses followed: the House of Corey, the House of Dior, the House of Wong, the House of Dupree, the House of Xtravaganza, etc. The founding years of these houses vary by source, but the majority sprung up throughout the '70s and '80s. The houses, in an attempt to outdo one another, would throw their own balls. Paris Dupree, Mother of the House of Dupree, threw the first Paris Is Burning ball around 1981.This, according to Kevin Omni, Mother of the House of Omni, was the first time the categories took precedence at the balls.

There had always been categories - "most perfect feminine body displayed by an impersonator" is basically just "Cheesecake" today - but then they really started to take on nuance in the early 1980s.

"So there was a category called butch realness and another called models effect and another called face," Omni explained in an article by Tim Lawrence. "Then we created all these other categories, like executive, town and country, ethnic, and they continued to develop through the eighties."

These categories measured "realness," the best approximation of an archetype, which in itself was a reflection of society and a world to which they couldn't gain entry. As Dorian Corey, Mother of the House of Corey, observes in Livingston's Paris Is Burning:

"In real life you can't get a job as an executive unless you have the educational background and the opportunity. Now, the fact that you are not an executive is merely because of the social standing of life. Black people have a hard time getting anywhere and those that do are usually straight. In a ballroom you can be anything you want. You're not really an executive but you're looking like an executive. You're showing the straight world that I can be an executive if I had the opportunity because can look like one, and that is like a fulfillment."

"What Are You Looking At?"
Voguing was a nonviolent way of fighting during the balls, and is generally divided into three phases. Old Way emerged in the 1960s and was basically posing, emulating movements from the fashion magazine from which the dance takes its name. New Way, developed in the 1980s and was more dynamic, acrobatic, and athletic, often involving contortions and martial arts influences - it is perhaps best exemplified by Willi Ninja, known as the Grandfather of Vogue, whose House of Ninja has become synonymous with voguing; the third and most recent form, developed in the mid-90s, is Vogue Fem, which involves hyper-effeminate posturing along with intricate hand and arm movements and dips, often known as deathdrops, The evolution of voguing also coincided with the shifting aesthetics of ballroom culture, away from pageantry and movie stars to high fashion.

The underground scene in Harlem began finding its way to the mainstream in the late-1980s, when the action of Pose takes place. In 1987, fashion designer Patricia Field established the House of Field, the first white downtown house to walk the uptown balls. In 1989, Willi Ninja appeared on the Malcolm McClaren song "Deep in Vogue" and in its accompanying music video. Ninja would go on to teach runway walking, counting among his students catwalker extraordinaire Naomi Campbell. In March 1990, after being introduced to voguing by Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza and Luis Camacho Xtravaganza at New York's Sound Factory dance club, Madonna came out with the song and video "Vogue" in 1990, which becxame one of the biggest and most defining hits of her career. The following year, Jennie Livingston's Paris Is Burning duck-walked into U.S. theaters and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Though the film has been subject to any number of criticisms - for reinforcing gender, racial, and social stereotypes, for being shot exclusively from a perspective of white privilege, for not properly compensating its participants - Paris Is Burning remains the encyclopedia for modern ball culture. At least, it was until RuPaul's Drag Race, which introduced a new generation, one that may have never seen Paris Is Burning, to the vocabulary and references the doc had, unbeknownst to them, popularized.

To paraphrase one of those famous quotes: They brought it to you at every ball - why y'all gagging so?

"You Own Everything"
The most tragic irony of the proliferation of ballroom culture is that many of its founders and stars - who sought fortune and fame or at least the next best thing, a trophy - never got to see it. It's therefore impossible to talk about the ball and house community and not discuss sexual violence and the AIDS epidemic.

After meeting young Venus Xtravaganza in Paris Is Burning, we learn from her mother Angie, near the film's end, that she was murdered by a john. Angie, herself, died from AIDS-related complications, as did Dorian Corey, Willi Ninja and too many others. In 1990, GMHC launched the Latex Ball in order to distribute health information to the ball community; celebrating its 28th year this month, the Latex Ball is the world's largest, attracting thousands of people from around the world, and offering, in addition to competitions in various categories, free HIV testing and prevention materials.

In 2017, 28 transgender people were reported murdered, the majority of whom were trans women of color. As with Venus Xtravaganza, their murders often go unsolved. In addition to suffering higher rates of violence and murder, the trans community also faces discrimination in employment, health care, housing, immigration, and most recently military service, as well as disproportionate rates of imprisonment which leads to further violence and abuse behind bars.

That is not to say, however, that nothing has changed for the better. Groups like the National Center for Transgender Equality - as well as GLAAD, GMHC and HRC, among others - continue to fight on behalf of queer, trans and gender non-conforming people. And despite an increasingly hostile administration, LGBTQ people have far more agency and visibility than in any time in history. The 2016 documentary Kiki - a 21st century Paris Is Burning co-written by ballroom performer and LGBTQ homeless youth advocate Twiggy Pucci Garçon - earned raves for its inspiring take on the state of ball and house culture and the inclusion of Garçon in shaping the film.

Pose - which counts writer and activist Janet Mock as a producer, writer and a director - employs more than 140 LGBTQ actors and crew members and features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles ever. Not content with just making history, Murphy announced last month that he will donate all of his Pose profits to trans and LGBTQ charities.

Pose, much like Paris Is Burning before it and The Queen before it, is a watershed moment in the representation of ball and house culture. But it's also an evolution. Where those films were small documentaries that found niche audiences - and eventual cult followings - Pose is about as mainstream as you can get. This is a culture, a community, and a history that deserves the prestige television treatment. Unequivocally, that's a good thing. And it is also a fulfillment of those defiantly opulent Harlem balls of the 19th and 20th centuries, proving once and for all, that they did, in fact, own everything.

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Striking a 'Pose': A Brief History of Ball Culture

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For decades, ballroom, ball or house culture has been a way for queer blacks and Latinos to live their best lives - that is, to figure out how to respond to a society that devalued their lives and attempted to erase their presence.

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I've often thought that my queer friends are more attuned to environmental issues and more likely to act on climate change. As we celebrate Pride Month and continue our social justice efforts toward queer liberation and environmental justice, I'm considering how two movements I'm passionate about are intrinsically connected.
Underserved Communities
It's important to note that everyone on this planet will experience the burden of climate change if we don't take steps to end the climate crisis.

However, minority communities, specifically BIPOC and LGBQT+ communities, are disproportionately affected by the environmental harms caused by:

Yet, despite this increased risk, minority voices are more likely to be excluded from the movement.

The people who are already the most vulnerable will experience the greatest impacts of climate change.

Climate change intersects with racism, classicism, and sexism. Low-income, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and gender minorities already experience an undue burden of marginalization, disenfranchisement, and discrimination. These communities are already underserved and are least prepared to recover from the most severe harms caused by the climate crisis.
Disproportional Impact
The LGBTQ+ community has a collective poverty rate of 21.6%, and the percentage is even higher for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals. LGBTQ+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. Housing instability, food insecurity, and general uncertainty about overall well-being are factors that contribute to extreme poverty and homelessness. The climate crisis exacerbates all of these things.

Due to rising sea levels and toxic air pollutants, low-income communities are becoming inhabitable. Individuals and families in these areas are vulnerable to the threat of forced migration as well as adverse health effects. Health problems that can result from increased exposure to pollutants include higher levels of asthma and cancer.

Research already reveals that sexual minorities are at a greater risk of health disparities due to heightened social stress. Still, this study by three sociologists at the University of Texas at El Paso examines the absence of scientific research on LGBTQ+ health disparities caused by environmental exposures.

Gender minorities and racial minorities are more likely to experience environmental hardships than other groups. Oil pipeline projects such as Dakota Access and Bayou Bridge desecrate native land and threaten two-spirit indigenous populations.

The LGBTQ+ community is systemically and intentionally stigmatized and oppressed by many politicians and legislative changes. The powers that deny the existence of climate change, actively support the removal of the US from the Paris Agreement, and support the expansion of heavy-polluting corporations are the same powers that advocate against health care for trans individuals, gay marriage, and overall pose a threat to equal rights.
A Hopeful Future
I don't write this to say that the relationship between climate change and the LGBTQ+ community is always negative. In fact, quite the opposite. My experience as an environmental activist has shown the LGBTQ+ community has been and can be a leader in sustainability.

The green stripe on the pride flag represents nature. This stripe emphasizes that being queer is in nature's design, and that pride must support the environment. According to a 2010 Harris poll, personal commitment to environmentalism is more pronounced in the US LGBTQ+ community than in the heterosexual population.

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in California in the 1970s. He championed environmental sustainability alongside his fight for gay rights. Today, many leaders in the environmental movement are proud members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Caring about climate change is a radical part of the queer identity. We must remember that injustice against any minority, including the environment, threatens all other marginalized communities.

Activism must support people and communities who face multiple forms of intersectional oppression and fight for the liberation of all. EARTHDAY.org is committed to combating these issues and has many resources for learning more. Check out Our Toolkits, take a quiz, use our factsheets, become an Earth Day member, and join us as we take action to end bigotry, injustice, and climate change.

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How climate change affects the LGBTQ+ Community - Earth Day

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I've often thought that my queer friends are more attuned to environmental issues and more likely to act on climate change. As we celebrate Pride Month and continue our social justice efforts toward queer liberation and environmental justice, I'm considering how two movements I'm passionate about are intrinsically connected.

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Source - TheAtlantic.com Anja Matthes

Issy Murray breaks down the ballroom scene of the 1970s.

When asked to think about modern LGBTQ+ culture, it's fair to assume many people would conjure up images of Pride events or imagine shows such as Ru Paul's Drag Race. However, much of what is now considered as 'mainstream' LGBTQ+ influence has a common history, stemming from an underground subculture that undoubtedly constitutes a cornerstone of queer culture: the ballroom scene.

Originating as far back as the 1920s but becoming heightened around the late-1970s, the ballroom scene in New York City, and particularly Harlem, was founded by the African American and Latin American queer community. What ballroom aimed to create was a safe space for all manners of self-expression. This accepting atmosphere was severely lacking in the heteronormative attitudes held by contemporary society; notably the height of ballroom coincided with the HIV/AIDS epidemic that was particularly threatening within LGBTQ+ spheres and used as a source of shaming the community. Unfortunately, as you might expect LGBTQ+ rights were seriously substandard in comparison to those of the straight man, and this lack of empathy and understanding translated in many families disowning members who came out as queer. As a result, many LGBTQ+ identifying people were left not only marginalised and feeling isolated, but physically homeless.

opportunity given to win awards and recognition for this art returned to LGBTQ+ creatives some of what everyday life had confiscated from them

Ballroom culture was a form of queer resistance, offering a place of solace and acceptance, where queer individuals across the spectrum could come together. Nonconformity was the norm in these pockets of inclusivity. In essence, ballroom consisted of a competition, whereby participants 'walk' to different categories and a panel of judges score you out of ten based on how much you creatively encapsulate the category. You would have to get creative to make outfits, makeup looks and performances that most excited the crowds and impressed the judges. Categories covered a vast range of themes such as 'executive realness', and walking in these, while sometimes mistaken for mimicry of heteronormative values, was instead a powerful subversion.

The opportunity given to win awards and recognition for this art returned to LGBTQ+ creatives some of what everyday life had confiscated from them. Walking could be done individually, but often people chose to join (or in some cases started their own) 'houses', which to name just a few include the House of LaBeija and the House of Xtravaganza. If you impressed a house, they would take you under their wing, not unlike the enduring concept of having a 'drag mother'. These were collectives that represented a sort of chosen family, an especial comfort if your biological family had rejected you. Houses would work as a unit, in competition with rivals, to win as many categories as possible and gain respect amongst their peers, becoming legendary.

In 1990, one distinct aspect of ballroom culture blew up in the mainstream thanks to Madonna, a long-term ally of the LGBTQ+ community and who frequently took inspiration from them. Her song "Vogue" drew massive attention to the iconic form of dance it's named after. In the grand tradition of Paris is Burning (a film released that same year), voguing is an instantly recognisable dance that emerged during the ballroom scene and involves stylised, sharp movements between powerful poses often particularly engaging the hands in exaggerated gesticulation. One of the key figures in perfecting the art of voguing, and featured in Paris is Burning, was Willi Ninja, who was from the same house (House of Ninja) as Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and actually taught her how to vogue.

Voguing, along with other dances emblematic of the ballroom scene like the duckwalk, has remained iconic through the ages (Vanessa Hudgens's comment on Drag Race that she is 'so into voguing right now' goes to somewhat show how it's become increasingly envisioned in mainstream terms). The music that dominated the ballroom scene, therefore, had to match the fierce struts and dances that accompanied the ballroom's scenes and message of self-confidence but was used to accentuate performance rather than overbear it. DJs were not the primary focus but had a vital role in knowing which tracks to play at which times to compliment categories. Certain tracks that had accents corresponding to moments of posing, splitting and dipping became calls to start voguing. Tracks associated with this period include Cheryl Lynn's "Got to be Real" and Basement Jaxx's "Fly Life".

While it's great to see how much society has progressed in terms of LGBTQ+ acceptance, with elements of queer culture becoming assimilated into the mainstream, it's crucial that the histories behind these pieces of culture aren't forgotten or misremembered. This is particularly prominent during LGBTQ+ history month, which is currently under commencement, as too often the efforts of queer, African American and Latin, gender non-conforming people are erased. The LGBTQ+ community owe a lot to these figures, and they deserve to be celebrated.

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Issy Murray breaks down the ballroom scene of the 1970s. When asked to think about modern LGBTQ+ culture, it's fair to assume many people would conjure up images of Pride events or imagine shows such as Ru Paul's Drag Race.

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The global campaign to secure protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other (LGBTQ+) people has made significant progress in recent decades, especially in the realm of marriage equality. Yet in many countries, LGBTQ+ individuals still face repression, imprisonment, and even the threat of death. Given the severity and ubiquity of such abuses, laws and safeguards protecting this community from legal discrimination and political, social, and economic marginalization have become a priority for activists and a growing number of governments.

The United States has long been an important battleground for LGBTQ+ rights, and U.S. leadership has been prominent in defending them worldwide. However, a rapid expansion of protections in the United States during the Barack Obama administration was stalled-or, in areas such as health care and military service, even reversed-by the Donald J. Trump administration. Trump also deprioritized the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights in U.S. foreign policy.

This erosion of the U.S. global standing on human rights issues poses an initial challenge for President Joe Biden, who is expected to pursue robust LGBTQ+ rights advocacy. Biden is likely to face resistance from conservative lawmakers and judges, but his commitment to using executive powers-evident in the signing of an executive order on his first day in office to protect LGBTQ+ Americans from discrimination-bodes well for the restoration of the United States' standing as a global leader in the defense of such rights.

Progress and Pitfalls in Global Rights

Civil society organizations have lobbied the United Nations for recognition of human rights on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity since the body's founding in 1945. However, it was not until the 1994 Toonen v. Australia case, brought before the UN Human Rights Committee, that the discrimination of individuals based on their sexual orientation became a recognized violation in international human rights law. In 2007, as case law in the area slowly evolved and instances of LGBTQ+ human rights violations garnered increased publicity, a group of independent experts met in Indonesia to articulate clear guidance for international human rights standards and their application to issues related to sexual orientation. Their efforts produced the Yogyakarta Principles, which have served as a touchstone for LGBTQ+ rights ever since.

In 2011, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton marshalled support in the UN Human Rights Council, the successor to the Human Rights Committee, for the resolution on human rights, sexual orientation, and gender identity, famously proclaiming that " gay rights are human rights." In 2016, the council adopted another resolution that called on member states to protect against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and established the office of an independent expert to assess implementation of these protections worldwide.

Yet, such protections are unevenly enshrined in law throughout the world, and anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination persists. Around seventy countries continue to criminalize homosexual activity, and in twelve countries adults who engage in consensual same-sex acts can still face the death penalty. In countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Qatar, these measures tend not to be enforced even if they are legally permissible, but Iran still regularly executes LGBTQ+ individuals. Additionally, in geographic areas beyond the reach of governments, terrorist organizations such as the self-proclaimed Islamic State perpetrate anti-LGBTQ+ violence.

Even where same-sex sexual activity is not illegal, officials often overlook abuse and murder of LGBTQ+ individuals perpetrated by law enforcement officers, militant groups, street gangs, and even their own family members. Forced marriages, so-called honor killings, and the use of rape as a way of "undoing" a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity continue to jeopardize lives in places where state capacity is limited. Transgender people are especially vulnerable to these acts of violence. In some Catholic- and Muslim-majority states with a history of authoritarianism, conservative interpretations of religious texts are often used to ostracize sexual minorities and justify discrimination against them. In Central America, for instance, LGBTQ+ people face structural discrimination, persecution, and high susceptibility to homicide, resulting in a recent surge of LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum in the United States.

A mere twenty-nine countries legally recognize marriage equality today, including Switzerland most recently with its December 2020 passage of marriage equality legislation. And even among countries where same-sex marriage is legal, some still lag behind in protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in access to social and commercial services, education, health, and employment; only eleven countries mention sexual orientation in constitutional nondiscrimination clauses. European countries stand out for extending protection under Article 21 of the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights and Article 19 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, but LGBTQ+ rights are increasingly under assault on the continent.

In Poland and Hungary, the use of homophobic rhetoric and legislation by reactionary political parties that have recently assumed power prompted the European Commission in 2020 to deny some funding to member states that do not respect LGBTQ+ rights and to take steps toward including homophobic hate crimes on a list of major offenses.

Advances at Home Reflected in U.S. Foreign Policy

Against this difficult panorama, the United States in recent years has become a leading advocate for LGBTQ+ rights internationally. U.S. credibility on the issue, though, is intrinsically tied to the country's own fight for equality and representation in government.

LGBTQ+ Americans historically faced legal and social discrimination, including regarding the right to serve in the military, work in the civil service, and represent the country abroad. During the Cold War, LGBTQ+ individuals were systematically purged from government service, and the federal government continued denying security clearances on the basis of sexual orientation until the early 1990s. Furthermore, in 1993, the Department of Defense issued Instruction 1304.26 to authorize the discharge of LGBTQ+ military personnel who disclosed their sexual orientation-a policy that effectively closeted service members and became known as the " Don't Ask, Don't Tell " policy.

Meanwhile, a new generation of activists emerged in the 1980s to contest government inaction and growing stigmatization in the face of the HIV/AIDS crisis, which disproportionately affected LGBTQ+ communities around the globe. In the United States, activist pressure put an end to legal discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients, forced the U.S. government's hand in allocating resources for treatment research, and increased public awareness by creating the policy and educational infrastructure for civil society to continue organizing around LGBTQ+ rights.

The Obama administration represented a turning point in U.S. policy, making LGBTQ+ rights central to both its domestic and foreign policy agendas. In addition to repealing restrictions on military service, it improved access to health services for transgender people by including transgender health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Obama also prioritized legislation to prevent bullying and hate crimes against LGBTQ+ Americans, extended same-sex domestic partner benefits for those working in executive branch departments, and signed an executive order protecting LGBTQ+ employees working for government contractors nationwide. In 2012, Obama became the first U.S. president to voice his support for same-sex marriage, which was ultimately legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015.

The Obama administration emerged as a world leader in advocacy, helping set the UN agenda for expanded international protections for LGBTQ+ people; launching the State Department's Global Equality Fund to advance their human rights around the world; and directing executive agencies to promote these rights in diplomacy and foreign assistance, including through encouraging the repeal of discriminatory laws. In 2015, Obama appointed the first-ever special envoy for LGBTQ+ human rights to coordinate U.S. diplomacy on the matter.

Trump's Reversal of LGBTQ+ Protections

The Trump administration's approach to LGBTQ+ rights involved appointing several openly gay men to high-ranking diplomatic and national security positions and overseeing a largely rhetorical campaign to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide, which fell short of its objectives. At the same time, Trump repealed many critical protections. He initiated, by tweet, a ban on military service for transgender service members and rolled back health-care guarantees for transgender patients. His administration also launched the Commission on Unalienable Rights, which threatened LGBTQ+ and women's rights under the guise of religious liberty despite claiming to protect human rights.

During his final days in office, Trump adopted rules that permit recipients of grants from the Department of Health and Human Services to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people, affecting services including foster care and adoption, refugee assistance, and HIV prevention. Trump's foreign policy agenda de-emphasized the inclusion and advocacy at the heart of Obama-era diplomacy, even removing references to LGBTQ+ people from policy guidance.

Yet, global advancements in equality for LGBTQ+ individuals continued, largely without U.S. leadership. In 2017, the United Nations appointed its second independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity, who in 2019 published a report calling for a global ban on conversion therapies-widespread practices based on a belief that a person's sexuality and gender can and should be changed to conform to heterosexual and cisgender norms. Furthermore, in 2017, Ireland elected its first openly gay prime minister, shortly followed by the election of Serbia's first openly lesbian and first female prime minister. Scores of openly LGBTQ+ candidates were elected to major public offices in countries such as Colombia and Japan. Even Pope Francis expressed support for LGBTQ+ individuals and their right to same-sex civil unions, though Vatican officials say such views reflect his personal beliefs and do not represent a change in church doctrine, which still prohibits same-sex marriage.

Challenges and Opportunities for Biden

Joe Biden campaigned for president on a promise to restore the United States' standing as a leader in defending the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. Given his recent record in this area-including being the first senior Obama administration official to back marriage equality and arguing in international forums that LGBTQ+ issues are the civil rights issue of our time-Biden is poised to make advancements in this space.

Biden has vowed to work closely with allies and like-minded governments to ensure that violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals do not go unchecked. The Biden administration could, for instance, confront illiberal crackdowns in Eastern and Central Europe and targeted harassment by law enforcement in the Middle East, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa with sanctions, while also expanding asylum protections for LGBTQ+ individuals seeking refuge in the United States.

Domestically, Biden fulfilled a promise to overturn the ban on military service for transgender people during his first week in office and has committed to reinstating antidiscrimination policies in federal contracting. Today, LGBTQ+ Americans in some U.S. states still struggle to secure housing and access to employment benefits. Both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have publicly committed their support to the Equality Act, legislation that would provide federal protection against all anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. Efforts in this area will largely depend on congressional backing but seem achievable given increasing support for LGBTQ+ rights among the broader public.

Further, the administration promises to reflect the diversity of the United States in its staffing, strengthening recognition of LGBTQ+ professionals through appointments to senior domestic policy and national security positions. The president has already nominated Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, to lead the Department of Transportation, which would make Buttigieg the first openly gay cabinet member if confirmed by the Senate. Biden has also put forth Rachel Levine as his choice for assistant secretary for health-the first-ever transgender individual to receive a nomination to a Senate-confirmed position-and is likely to name the first openly lesbian U.S. ambassador.

Biden will face a full slate of domestic and foreign policy challenges during the first one hundred days of his presidency. But having made clear that LGBTQ+ rights will be a top priority, Biden recognizes that restoring U.S. credibility to defend and advance human rights abroad starts with the United States' own commitment to guaranteeing LGBTQ+ rights at home.
Will Merrow created the graphics for this article.

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The Changing Landscape of Global LGBTQ+ Rights

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The global campaign to secure protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other (LGBTQ+) people has made significant progress in recent decades, especially in the realm of marriage equality. Yet in many countries, LGBTQ+ individuals still face repression, imprisonment, and even the threat of death.

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Growing up gay, I have noticed a significant shift in the LGBTQ community, where society is more accepting and the legalization of gay marriage.