National
LGBTQ+ Pride month in Utah declared by GOP governor
We must encourage vital conversations about what it means to love each other, understand our differences, & support our LGBTQ+ friends…
SALT LAKE CITY, UT. – In a first for the heavily conservative and Mormon state of Utah, its Republican Governor Spencer J. Cox issued an official Declaration on Tuesday designating June as Pride Month in the state. Cox is believed to be the first Utah governor to issue such a proclamation honoring the LGBTQ community.
Writing on Twitter Cox said, “Here in Utah, we strive to create a culture of hope, love, understanding, and respect by celebrating our common humanity. Happy #Pride Month, Utah!” The governor then added #LetsGo #OneUtah.
Here in Utah, we strive to create a culture of hope, love, understanding, and respect by celebrating our common humanity.
— Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) June 1, 2021
Happy #Pride Month, Utah!#LetsGo #OneUtah pic.twitter.com/bnsevu6xXT
“We must encourage relevant and vital conversations about what it means to love each other, understand our differences, and support our LGBTQ+ friends and family members,” Cox wrote in the declaration. “We can strengthen resilience in the LGBTQ+ community through family and community inclusion and by providing access to help, and giving them our support, respect, understanding, and friendship.”
Cox had made headlines in March after his statement on House Bill 302, a bill that targeted the state’s Trans youth from participating in high school and collegiate sports.
“If you have not spent time with transgender youth, then I would encourage you to pause on this issue,” Cox said. “We have so many people who are in a very difficult spot right now. And we have very few if any transgender girls participating in sports.”
“These kids are, they are just trying to stay alive. You know, there is a reason none of them are playing sports,” says the Governor. “And so, I just think there is a better way, and I hope that there will be enough grace in our state to find a better solution.”
The legislation later stalled in the Health and Human Services Committee declining to vote on HB 302 and then the Utah Legislature wrapped for this year’s session on March 5, effectively killing the bill although its sponsor, state Rep. Kera Birkeland (R-Morgan) indicated she may introduce it in a different form/version next year.
ABC News affiliate, KTVX ABC 4 also reported that long time LGBTQ activist, actor George Takei also weighed in; “This is quite moving. Bravo, sir. We need more of this compassion in politics, particularly from Republicans,” he said in a Twitter post.
Also on Tuesday, the Mayor of the Utah capital city of Salt Lake tweeted out herself and a staffer raising a Pride flag in front of City Hall.
Happy #PRIDE Month Salt Lake City! Raising the Pride flag to fly above City Hall is a favorite tradition and I’m so glad Pride Week is here to support the valuable programs of the @utahpridecenter, which are critical to our 🏳️🌈LGBTQIA🏳️⚧️ community #utpol pic.twitter.com/dasLVqwMjS
— Mayor Erin Mendenhall (@slcmayor) June 1, 2021
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.
