National
Pennsylvania governor backs anti-discrimination bill
Republican told newspaper he remains opposed to same-sex marriage
“I’ve had people come and talk to me about how they were discriminated against,” the Republican told the Philadelphia Inquirer as he discussed House Bill 300. “The federal government has anti-discrimination laws. I believed they covered it.”
Gay state Rep. Mike Fleck (R-Huntingdon) is among the 118 state lawmakers who have co-sponsored HB 300 or an identical measure in the Pennsylvania Senate.
“I’m excited that Gov. Corbett is on board,” Fleck told the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “Whether people agree or disagree on sexual orientation, the vast majority feel it’s wrong to discriminate.”
Ted Martin, executive director of Equality Pennsylvania, added Corbett “showed leadership” with his announcement.
“His support for this bill underscores that people of Pennsylvania understand that while we may not all have the same views and beliefs, we all deserve to be able to earn a living to support ourselves, to support our families and to contribute to society,” said Martin in a statement.
Philadelphia and 32 other Pennsylvania municipalities have adopted anti-discrimination laws that include both sexual orientation and gender identity.
Neighboring Delaware and New Jersey are among the 17 states along with D.C. and Puerto Rico that have added LGBT-specific language to their statewide statutes. New York and Maryland’s anti-discrimination laws only include sexual orientation.
A Susquehanna Polling and Research survey in May found 72 percent of Pennsylvanians back the anti-LGBT discrimination bills.
State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) who chairs the House State Government Committee remains opposed to HB 300. Corbett told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he does not know how he would overcome the conservative Republican’s stance against the measure.
The governor also said during the interview that his position against marriage rights for same-sex couples “hasn’t changed.”
The American Civil Liberties Union in July filed a lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s statutory gay nuptials ban on behalf of 11 same-sex couples and a widow. Corbett subsequently announced his administration would defend the same-sex marriage ban in court.
The governor in October sparked outrage among LGBT rights advocates when he compared same-sex marriage to incest during an interview with a Harrisburg television station. Corbett subsequently apologized for his comments.
National
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
Designer/activist wins for work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
It was a historic night at the 79th annual Tony Awards on Sunday as Queen Jean won the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first out transgender person to win a Tony.
“This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” she said. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.”
She won the award for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and was also nominated for best costume design of a play for “Liberation.”
In addition to her stage work, Queen Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an organization that supports trans and gender-nonconforming people in New York City.
National
Madonna turns Times Square into massive dance floor
Pop icon celebrates Pride month with surprise performance
Pop icon Madonna celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to the delight of 50,000 fans.
She performed for about 15 minutes high above street level, including several songs from her new album “Confessions II” due on July 3, along with a trio of songs from the first “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
In addition to the brand new “Love Sensation,” she performed “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” plus “Hung Up,” “Get Together” and “I Love New York.” She wished the crowd a happy Pride season; the event was shared with audiences through Grindr’s first-ever livestream.


National
Gallup finds LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping
Marriage equality support lowest since 2016
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping.
The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, was conducted in May and was published on Wednesday. The data was collected through telephone interviews from a sample of more than 1,000 adults living in all 50 states and D.C. using random digit dialing.
It highlights declining attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in multiple areas — from support for same-sex marriage to views on gender identity and the morality of one’s sexuality.
One of the most striking findings was that support for marriage equality fell six points from its 2022-2023 high.
The survey also found that 62 percent of Americans view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016 just after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court.
One newer question on the poll found that the perceived morality of changing one’s gender has dropped eight points since 2021, indicating the American public is less supportive of transgender people.

The data attributes much of the decline to shifting Republican views alongside the party itself. Conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.
President Donald Trump has been a guiding force behind waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, particularly when it comes to trans rights. The president has enacted multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandates that gender be defined by one’s sex assigned at birth. He also signed Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which barred qualified trans applicants from joining the military and led to the removal of trans service members already serving in the armed forces.
Additionally, he signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits trans female athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
In February, Gallup found that an estimated 9 percent of Americans identified as part of the LGBTQ community in some form.
The organization also found that 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ, compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49 and 3 percent or less among those ages 50 and older.

