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National news in brief: March 25

Controversial ‘gay cure’ app pulled from Apple, Indiana lawmakers oppose gays and more

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Apple yanks ‘gay cure’ app

DENVER — An iPhone app critics called “hateful and bigoted” has been pulled by Apple, several media outlets reported this week.

The company as of Blade press time had not released a statement but on Tuesday pulled the app released by Exodus International, an “ex-gay” organization that claims it can cure gays of unwanted same-sex desire.

According to Apple’s guidelines for app store submissions, “Any app that is defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harms way will be rejected.”

The “reparative therapy” offered by Exodus International’s counseling services has been rejected by most major medical organizations, including the American Psychological Association, as damaging to the self-esteem and mental health of its patients.

An online petition against the app, organized by Change.org, has received more than 150,000 signatures since March 9 and coverage from major news websites and organizations.

Exodus says the iPhone application can help as an alternative to homosexuality not a “cure.”

Gay marriage ban remains in effect in Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. appeals court this week left in place a ban on gay marriage in California, denying requests to allow same-sex weddings during a lengthy appeals process, Reuters and other news outlets reported.

A federal district court judge last year struck down the ban on the basis that it violated the U.S. constitution, but his decision is on hold pending the appeal.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is waiting for California’s supreme court to issue guidance on whether a group supporting the ban had the right to make the appeal.

California’s decision will add a year or so to the federal appeal process, Reuters said.

Indiana takes further step to ban gay marriage

INDIANAPOLIS — State lawmakers in Indiana took another step Wednesday toward amending a gay marriage ban into Indiana’s constitution, the Evansville Courier & Press and other outlets reported this week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to one man and one woman, and would bar civil unions or other legal recognition of same-sex couples’ relationships, on a 7-3 vote. House Joint Resolution 6 has already cleared the House and now moves to the full Senate, where it is expected to pass with little resistance, the paper reported.

Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, noted the Senate has approved such a ban five times. In the past, it’s been blocked by Democratic majorities in the House. But Republicans now control both chambers.

“The basic unit of our society is our family, and I think the cornerstone of the family is the marriage of a man and a women and having children,” he said. “I think that is part of the main thrust of the whole idea here is to protect that unit that is basic to our society and all other societies.”

Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, said he is concerned that banning civil unions will affect domestic partnership health benefits.

Lanane offered an amendment that addresses what he called the “troubling language of the resolution.”

He suggested Indiana take the middle road and say no to recognition of same-sex marriage, but recognize same-sex relationships with civil unions.

“I think Indiana should seek compromise in this situation,” he said. “Why shouldn’t we exercise some independent thinking in this regards?”

The constitutional amendment process requires the exact same language win the approval of both chambers of the General Assembly in two consecutive but separately elected legislatures. That means after this year’s votes, the House and Senate would have to approve the measure once again in either 2013 or 2014. If they do, voters would have the final say in a November 2014 referendum, the Press reported.

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Federal Government

UPenn erases Lia Thomas’s records as part of settlement with White House

University agreed to ban trans women from women’s sports teams

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U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon (Screen capture: C-SPAN)

In a settlement with the Trump-Vance administration announced on Tuesday, the University of Pennsylvania will ban transgender athletes from competing and erase swimming records set by transgender former student Lia Thomas.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found the university in violation of Title IX, the federal rights law barring sex based discrimination in educational institutions, by “permitting males to compete in women’s intercollegiate athletics and to occupy women-only intimate facilities.”

The statement issued by University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson highlighted how the law’s interpretation was changed substantially under President Donald Trump’s second term.

“The Department of Education OCR investigated the participation of one transgender athlete on the women’s swimming team three years ago, during the 2021-2022 swim season,” he wrote. “At that time, Penn was in compliance with NCAA eligibility rules and Title IX as then interpreted.”

Jameson continued, “Penn has always followed — and continues to follow — Title IX and the applicable policy of the NCAA regarding transgender athletes. NCAA eligibility rules changed in February 2025 with Executive Orders 14168 and 14201 and Penn will continue to adhere to these new rules.”

Writing that “we acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules” in place while Thomas was allowed to compete, the university president added, “We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.”

“Today’s resolution agreement with UPenn is yet another example of the Trump effect in action,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, UPenn has agreed both to apologize for its past Title IX violations and to ensure that women’s sports are protected at the university for future generations of female athletes.”

Under former President Joe Biden, the department’s Office of Civil Rights sought to protect against anti-LGBTQ discrimination in education, bringing investigations and enforcement actions in cases where school officials might, for example, require trans students to use restrooms and facilities consistent with their birth sex or fail to respond to peer harassment over their gender identity.

Much of the legal reasoning behind the Biden-Harris administration’s positions extended from the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that sex-based discrimination includes that which is based on sexual orientation or gender identity under Title VII rules covering employment practices.

The Trump-Vance administration last week put the state of California on notice that its trans athlete policies were, or once were, in violation of Title IX, which comes amid the ongoing battle with Maine over the same issue.

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New York

Two teens shot steps from Stonewall Inn after NYC Pride parade

One of the victims remains in critical condition

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The Stonewall National Memorial in New York on June 19, 2024. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

On Sunday night, following the annual NYC Pride March, two girls were shot in Sheridan Square, feet away from the historic Stonewall Inn.

According to an NYPD report, the two girls, aged 16 and 17, were shot around 10:15 p.m. as Pride festivities began to wind down. The 16-year-old was struck in the head and, according to police sources, is said to be in critical condition, while the 17-year-old was said to be in stable condition.

The Washington Blade confirmed with the NYPD the details from the police reports and learned no arrests had been made as of noon Monday.

The shooting took place in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, mere feet away from the most famous gay bar in the city — if not the world — the Stonewall Inn. Earlier that day, hundreds of thousands of people marched down Christopher Street to celebrate 55 years of LGBTQ people standing up for their rights.

In June 1969, after police raided the Stonewall Inn, members of the LGBTQ community pushed back, sparking what became known as the Stonewall riots. Over the course of two days, LGBTQ New Yorkers protested the discriminatory policing of queer spaces across the city and mobilized to speak out — and throw bottles if need be — at officers attempting to suppress their existence.

The following year, LGBTQ people returned to the Stonewall Inn and marched through the same streets where queer New Yorkers had been arrested, marking the first “Gay Pride March” in history and declaring that LGBTQ people were not going anywhere.

New York State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, whose district includes Greenwich Village, took to social media to comment on the shooting.

“After decades of peaceful Pride celebrations — this year gun fire and two people shot near the Stonewall Inn is a reminder that gun violence is everywhere,” the lesbian lawmaker said on X. “Guns are a problem despite the NRA BS.”

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New York

Zohran Mamdani participates in NYC Pride parade

Mayoral candidate has detailed LGBTQ rights platform

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NYC mayoral candidate and New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani (Screen capture: NBC News/YouTube)

Zohran Mamdani, the candidate for mayor of New York City who pulled a surprise victory in the primary contest last week, walked in the city’s Pride parade on Sunday.

The Democratic Socialist and New York State Assembly member published photos on social media with New York Attorney General Letitia James, telling followers it was “a joy to march in NYC Pride with the people’s champ” and to “see so many friends on this gorgeous day.”

“Happy Pride NYC,” he wrote, adding a rainbow emoji.

Mamdani’s platform includes a detailed plan for LGBTQ people who “across the United States are facing an increasingly hostile political environment.”

His campaign website explains: “New York City must be a refuge for LGBTQIA+ people, but private institutions in our own city have already started capitulating to Trump’s assault on trans rights.

“Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis confronting working class people across the city hits the LGBTQIA+ community particularly hard, with higher rates of unemployment and homelessness than the rest of the city.”

“The Mamdani administration will protect LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers by expanding and protecting gender-affirming care citywide, making NYC an LGBTQIA+ sanctuary city, and creating the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs.”

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