National
Perry shakes up GOP presidential race
Texas guv — subject of gay rumors — opposes marriage equality

Rep. Michele Bachmann won an Iowa straw poll, barely edging out Rep. Ron Paul. She was later grilled on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ but evaded a question about whether she would hire an openly gay member to her administration. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Since he officially announced his candidacy for president on Aug. 13, Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) has reminded Republican voters of his support for a U.S. constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
Perry, who has emerged as one of the three leading GOP presidential contenders, has also reminded conservative party activists that he played a lead role in helping to pass a 2005 Texas constitutional amendment banning both same-sex marriage and civil unions.
Political observers have said Perry appears to be pushing his credentials as a same-sex marriage opponent following criticism he received from social conservative leaders last month, when he said the New York State Legislature’s approval of a same-sex marriage bill could be defended on the principle of states’ rights.
“Our friends in New York six weeks ago passed a statute that said marriage can be between two people of the same sex,” Perry told an audience in Aspen, Colo. “And you know what? That’s New York, and that’s their business, and that’s fine with me,” he said.
“That is their call,” he added. “If you believe in the 10th Amendment, stay out of their business.”
Perry’s comments about the New York marriage bill drew an immediate outcry from anti-gay groups, including the Family Research Council. But in a subsequent interview with Family Research Council leader Tony Perkins, Perry noted that among his core beliefs is the view that marriage can only be between one man and one woman.
While he remains a strong supporter of states’ rights, Perry told Perkins that the approval of same-sex marriage laws in states like New York could eventually lead to a situation where all states would have to recognize those marriages.
“Indeed to not pass the federal marriage amendment would impinge on Texas and other states not to have marriage forced upon us by these activist judges and special interest groups,” he said.
Rumors that have surfaced in Texas over the past decade about Perry having an affair with a male member of his administration, and his concern over the unconfirmed reports, may explain why Perry hasn’t been as outspoken against LGBT issues as the other GOP candidates in the race, according to Michael Mitchell, executive director of National Stonewall Democrats.
The weekly Austin Chronicle, along with various state blogs, have reported on the rumors, some of which have questioned Perry’s sexual orientation. Perry’s supporters have called the rumors scurrilous, saying no evidence has ever surfaced to give them any credibility.
Perry announced his candidacy on the same day that U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) won the Iowa straw poll among GOP presidential contenders, elevating her position in the eyes of most political pundits as one of the three “top tier” Republican presidential candidates based on polling numbers, fundraising capability and other factors.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who didn’t compete in the Iowa straw poll, remains at the head of the pack of GOP presidential candidates, according to the pundits and polls. Perry is considered the other member of the top three.
Romney and Bachman have each come out strongly for a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
Bachmann, whose husband operates a discredited “ex-gay” counseling practice, captured 29 percent of the nearly 17,000 votes cast in the Ames, Iowa, straw poll.
Libertarian U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), came in second with 28 percent of the vote. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty came in third with 14 percent, prompting him to drop out of the presidential race.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum finished fourth with 10 percent, while businessman Herman Cain came in fifth with 9 percent.
Bachmann, Paul, Santorum, Cain, and Pawlenty have each expressed opposition to same-sex marriage. Pawlenty came under fire from conservative activists when he said he supported civil unions for same-sex couples.
Dennis Coleman, executive director of the statewide LGBT group Equality Texas, said LGBT leaders in the state have yet to meet with Perry during his nearly 11 years as governor.
Perry won election as lieutenant governor in 1998 and assumed office as governor in 2000 when then-Gov. George W. Bush resigned after winning election as president. Perry won election to full terms as governor in 2002, 2006, and 2010.
Coleman said Perry this year signed two bills considered to be beneficial to the LGBT community, an anti-bullying measure and a suicide prevention measure. But Coleman noted that both bills enjoyed strong bipartisan support and did not include specific language mentioning LGBT people, even though the bills benefit LGBT youth who are subjected to bullying and susceptible to suicide.
According to Coleman and Mitchell, Perry has opposed nearly all LGBT-related bills introduced into the state legislature during his time as governor, including legislation to ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Mitchell said Perry nevertheless has not been as outspoken in his opposition to LGBT-related issues as many of the other GOP presidential candidates, especially Bachmann and Santorum.
Christian Berle, deputy executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, a national LGBT group, praised Perry’s record in Texas on economic issues and his support for the anti-bullying and suicide prevention bills.
“We look forward to seeing Gov. Perry keep his commitment to states’ rights and the 10th Amendment when it comes to respecting the decisions of states to recognize relationships,” Berle said.
U.S. Federal Courts
Renee Good’s family files two federal lawsuits
ICE officer killed lesbian mother of three in Minneapolis in January
The family of lesbian woman who a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement killed in Minneapolis in January have filed two federal lawsuits.
The Associated Press notes Renee Good’s partner, Becca Good, and her brother, Brent Ganger, in the lawsuits accuse the Trump-Vance administration and ICE officer Jonathan Ross of “unjustified and excessive use of force.”
Renee Good was a 37-year-old mother of three.
Ross on Jan. 7 shot and killed her in Minneapolis.
The shooting took place during the Trump-Vance administration’s so-called Operation Metro Surge that targeted Somalis and other immigrant groups in Minneapolis. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on Jan. 24 shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse who worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in Minneapolis.
Both shooting sparked outrage across the U.S. and around the world.
“Every morning, she is my first thought. I think about how the kids are growing up without their mama, and how I will grow old without the love of my life. I think about how we should have had 40 more years together. But I also think about what she would have wanted after all of this,” said Becca Good in a statement the Human Rights Campaign released after she and her partner’s family announced the lawsuits.
“As we have tried to navigate our own massive loss, I am also devastated by how many other lives have been destroyed in this darkest of times. So many other families are dealing with the loss of their loved ones; to everyone who has had to witness it — the pain of this moment extends far beyond our family,” added Becca Good. “What happened to us should never happen to any family. No child should grow up without a parent because of it. No one should lose their sister or their daughter. No one should have to live without their soulmate. Accountability — real accountability — is the only way to make sure that no other family has to go through what we have.”
HRC President Kelley Robinson in her own statement said the Good family “is one of our own — and today, the Human Rights Campaign joins them in demanding justice.”
“It has been eight months and 24 days since Renee was shot and killed by an ICE agent, and the United States government has failed to take responsibility for its actions,” said Robinson. “Her partner, Becca, and brother Brent, have made the brave and bold decision to hold the government accountable, and we stand with them. Like every person murdered by ICE, Renee should be alive today. The Goods were robbed of what every American family deserves: to be together.”
Federal Government
988 restores crisis services for LGBTQ youth
The lifesaving 988 call-in number to help people experiencing mental health crises or suicidal thoughts has once again restored its specialized services for LGBTQ youth.
The lifeline, which used to have the option to “press 3” to be directly sent to specialized services for LGBTQ youth facing mental health crises or suicidal thoughts, was returned on Wednesday following an over-year-long battle with the Trump-Vance administration, which removed the service in May 2025.
The Press 3 option rolled out as a pilot program in 2022 through a government contract with the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ people.
Then, in June 2025, the federal government announced that the lifeline would be eliminated within a month. By July 2025, 988 Lifeline’s “Press 3” services were terminated.
Openly gay U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) helped lead Congress in reversing the removal of the lifesaving resource from American phones. As a member of the Senatw Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, she started the process of securing $535 million for 988 — a $15 million increase — as well as dedicated funding for LGBTQ youth specialized services.
Then, in September 2025, Baldwin, along with U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), introduced bipartisan legislation in the Senate, the 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act, to codify the 988 Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ young people.
At the same time, U.S. Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives alongside U.S. Reps. Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.) Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)
The Senate passed Baldwin’s bipartisan funding bill in January 2026, funding the Department of Health and Human Services with explicit language mandating the return of 988’s LGBTQ youth specialized services.
In February 2026, Congress passed legislation mandating that the previously eliminated “Press 3” specialized services be restored and funded with $33,100,000 — but it was unclear if the Press 3 option would still be allowed under current executive orders, namely Executive Order 14168, or “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
Despite the securing of federal funding for the Press 3 resource, the battle to get the 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act through Congress is ongoing — and would provide codafied protection from this removal ever happening again.
According to data on the Trevor Project’s website, LGBTQ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
Baldwin’s office touts the immense help the lifeline provides to LGBTQ people in their moments of greatest need. The press release on the reinstatement of Press 3 highlighted the continued demand for the service:
“The volume of calls, texts, and chats 15 percent higher than a year earlier and nearly 50 percent higher than two years ago. Since the lifeline launched, it has received over 27 million contacts, including over 18 million calls, 4 million texts, and 3 million chats.”
Advocates for LGBTQ rights and mental health awareness have agreed with the increasing numbers and hailed the return as a win for everyone.
“Suicide and mental health struggles touch every community across our state, and that’s why creating the 988 crisis lifeline to make sure help is there for everyone is one of my proudest accomplishments,” said Baldwin said in a statement. “But, last year, the Trump administration decided to make these real struggles a political football and ripped away the specialized line that helped LGBTQ children. This was a deliberate choice. The Trump administration chose to put children’s lives on the line to score some political points.
“I’ve fought tooth and nail to restore this lifesaving resource. When I realized the Trump administration was not going to do it on their own, I wrote it into federal law to require them to restore the Press 3 option,” the Wisconsin senator said. “This lifesaving resource never should have gone away in the first place, but I am glad the lifesaving support Press 3 provides is once again there for people who need it.”
“I’m proud that we secured the funding to restore this lifesaving LGBTQ+ crisis line and successfully pressured the Trump administration to bring the program back,” Krishnamoorthi said. “When an LGBTQ+ young person reaches out for help in a moment of crisis, they deserve to reach a counselor trained to understand and support them. This program should never have been taken away, and now we need to make sure it stays available for every young person who needs it. I’m grateful to the Trevor Project, NAMI Chicago, Equality Illinois, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and all the advocates and young people who worked alongside us to bring these services back.”
Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project who works with the SAMHSA, in their press three operations celebrated the return of the resource.
“We are grateful to see that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s ‘Press 3’ specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth have been restored. Resuming this national resource will be critical in addressing the public health crisis of suicide among LGBTQ+ young people, and supporting the estimated more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth who seriously consider attempting suicide in the U.S. each year,” Black said via a statement. “We are thankful for the large coalition of bipartisan lawmakers, mental health advocates, allies, and supporters who fought tirelessly for this restoration. We will monitor the launch and usage of these important services to ensure all LGBTQ+ youth are supported with clinically best standards.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.
California
Calif. governor signs 6 pro-LGBTQ bills, vetoes 1
Gavin Newsom rejected measure he claimed is legislative overreach
Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed and vetoed a slew of bills into state law. Among them were seven pertaining to California’s LGBTQ community. Newsom signed six while vetoing one. His actions drew applause and scorn from advocacy groups in the state.
The six signed bills:
Assembly Bill 1775 allows transgender veterans, who were banned from service last year by the Trump-Vance administration, to access housing assistance, use California’s discharge upgrade assistance program, and get support for gaining employment.
Assembly Bill 1930 strengthens privacy protections for healthcare patients and providers by creating clear guidelines for California agencies, individuals, and corporations to respond to out-of-state subpoena requests relating to abortion or gender-affirming care. This includes a requirement to contact the California Attorney General at least seven days prior to responding to the subpoena or providing legal documents. This should add additional protection to those residing in California from investigations in states where abortion or gender-affirming care has more restrictions.
Senate Bill 934 targets conversion therapy in California and increases the amount of time a patient has to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit against a provider for attempting to change the patient’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill takes aim at the widely debunked practice that treats queerness as a mental disorder that could be cured through psychotherapeutic methods. Conversion therapy has been illegal in California since 2012; however, a recent Supreme Court decision threw the ban into question, prompting lawmakers to write this new bill that legally defines it as medical malpractice.
Senate Bill 1023 expands access to PrEP, a medication that protects people from contracting HIV. The bill requires insurers to cover the drug through the medical benefit and the pharmacy benefit pathways, allowing for more providers to give patients PrEP.
Senate Bill 1114 strengthens privacy protections for voluntary self-identification data about sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill limits when California government agencies can share this data and bars it from being disclosed outside of the state government, with few exceptions.
Senate Bill 1328 expands support for LGBTQ students and staff in California colleges. The bill requires any institution of higher education to designate an employee at any campus, satellite campus, branch campus, or outreach center to support the needs of LGBTQ individuals.
Equality California, the largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights group in the country, commended the governor for his support of legislation that protects and supports the queer community amid escalating threats, attacks, and rollbacks from the federal government.
Executive Director Tony Hoang said in a written statement, “California is once again demonstrating that when LGBTQ+ people are targeted, our state will respond with action,” adding, “We are grateful to Gov. Newsom for signing these measures.”
The vetoed bill:
Assembly Bill 2164 would have banned California from extraditing anyone residing in California for providing abortions or gender-affirming care in another state. Newsom vetoed this bill despite agreeing with its principles, claiming in a written statement that “extradition is an exclusively executive function” and that he did not want to limit the “executive authority of an incoming governor.”
This bill was created in response to Louisiana’s attempt to extradite a California physician for allegedly sending abortion pills in the mail to a Louisiana woman. Newsom responded forcefully to the extradition request, publicly denying it and stating, “We will not allow extremist politicians from other states to reach into California and try to punish doctors based on allegations that they provided reproductive health care services.”
In a written statement responding to the veto, Lizzy Hinkley, the legal director of the bill’s lead sponsor, Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, criticized Newsom, stating, “[the] outgoing governor’s principled stance is cold comfort to Californians living and working in the real world post-Dobbs. A high-brow, academic justification for refusing to codify legal protections only reveals an ignorance for the lived reality of patients and providers — and does nothing to help them.”
-
2026 Midterm Elections4 days agoMeet the LGBTQ candidates running for U.S. House, Senate
-
Serbia5 days agoAna Brnabić becomes world’s first openly lesbian head of state
-
Arts & Entertainment4 days agoVote now! Best Of LGBTQ DC readers’ choice awards
-
Virginia4 days agoGay Va. couple hopeful voters will enshrine marriage equality in state constitution
