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Facebook blocks ad targeting by sexual orientation

dating apps are still allowed to find groups based on ‘interested in’ section until April

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(Logo courtesy of Facebook)

Facebook has removed the option to target ads towards people by sexual orientation.

BuzzFeed News reports Facebook quietly made the change last month. LGBT organizations can no longer find members of the LGBT community for ads based on the “interested in” sections on their profile.

“Based on feedback from our community and outside experts, we’re removing the ability for organizations to target people based on the ‘interested in’ information in their profiles,” Facebook product management director Mary Ku told BuzzFeed News in a statement.

However, dating apps were still able to target groups based on the gender and “interested in” sections on the profile.

Calvin Stowell, chief growth officer for the Trevor Project, told BuzzFeed News that the change hurts outreach for the organization, which provides 24/7 phone, chat and text lines for suicidal LGBT youth.

“It’s really important to have that targeting be available,” Stowell says. “We’re advertising our services — obviously they’re life-saving.”

“We have a very limited budget, and so now I have to throw money at the wind, hoping it’s going to reach the group I want to reach,” Stowell added.

According to BuzzFeed News, Facebook announced that dating apps will also lose the option to target based on sexual orientation at the end of April.

 

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Politics

Republicans projected to regain control of Senate

Democrats faced uphill battle to retain slim majority

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(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Just after midnight on Wednesday when the Associated Press called U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer’s (R-Neb.) victory over Independent challenger Dan Osborn, and Republican challenger Bernie Moreno’s victory over U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), it became clear Republicans were projected to take control of the U.S. Senate. 

Democrats faced an uphill battle to maintain their one-seat majority, and their path narrowed in tandem with Vice President Kamala Harris’s prospects of winning the presidential race as votes were counted Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.

Close races involving incumbent Senate Democrats in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, and Nebraska had not yet been called. Republican victories in those contests would give the party a bigger cushion in the chamber, which has been closely divided for the past four years. 

Republican U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida were considered vulnerable incumbents, but the former was projected to win handily and the latter was called the winner early on Tuesday night. 

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2024 Election

Kaine wins re-election

Former VP candidate defeated Republican Hung Cao

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U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine speaks at the 2022 Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Tuesday defeated Republican Hung Cao.

Kaine beat Cao by a 54-46 percent margin.

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Politics

Lisa Blunt Rochester wins Del. Senate race

Congresswoman will be first Black woman to represent state in US Senate

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U.S. Sen.-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Delaware Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester on Tuesday became the first Black woman elected to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.

Blunt Rochester defeated Republican Eric Hansen by a 56-40 percent margin in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) State Sen. Sarah McBride on Tuesday became the first transgender person elected to Congress after she won the race to succeed Blunt Rochester.

Blunt Rochester will serve alongside U.S. Sen.-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) once she takes office in January.

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