National
Federal judge upholds W.Va. law that bans trans youth from female school sports teams
Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed statute in 2021

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Goodwin for the Southern District of West Virginia ruled last Friday that the ban on transgender athletes competing in female school sports that Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed into law in 2021 is constitutional.
“I recognize that being transgender is natural and is not a choice,” Goodwin wrote in his decision. “But one’s sex is also natural, and it dictates physical characteristics that are relevant to athletics.”
The ruling came in the lawsuit challenging the ban filed by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of West Virginia and Cooley LLP on behalf of then 11-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson, the plaintiff in the lawsuit.
When the suit was filed, Josh Block, senior staff attorney with the ACLU LGBTQ and HIV Project said: āBecky ā like all students ā should have the opportunity to try out for a sports team and play with her peers. We hope this also sends a message to other states to stop demonizing trans kids to score political points and to let these kids live their lives in peace.ā
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey applauded the decision.
“This is not only about simple biology, but fairness for women’s sports, plain and simple,” the attorney general said. “Opportunities for girls and women on the field are precious and we must safeguard that future.”
NPR and the Associated Press reported the plaintiff’s lawsuit did not challenge whether schools should be allowed to have separate sports teams for males and females, and Goodwin was tasked with determining whether the Legislature’s definition of the terms “girl” and “woman” is constitutionally permissible. The Save Women’s Sports Bill signed by Justice says they mean anyone assigned the female gender at birth.
“The Legislature’s definition of ‘girl’ as being based on ‘biological sex’ is substantially related to the important government interest of providing equal athletic opportunities for females,” Goodwin determined.
The judge also rejected the plaintiff’s claim that the state law violated Title IX, the landmark gender equity legislation enacted in 1972.
The White House
Trump bars trans women and girls from sports
The administration reversed course on the Biden-Harris policy on Title IX

President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued another executive order taking aim at the transgender community, this time focusing on eligibility for sports participation.
In a signing ceremony for āKeeping Men Out of Womenās Sports” in the East Room of the White House, the president proclaimed “With this executive order, the war on womenās sports is over.”
Despite the insistence by Trump and Republicans that trans women and girls have a biological advantage in sports over cisgender women and girls, the research has been inconclusive, at best.
A study in the peer reviewed Sports Medicine journal found āno direct or consistent researchā pointing to this conclusion. A different review in 2023 found that post-pubertal differences are āreduced, if not erased, over time by gender affirming hormone therapy.ā
Other critics of efforts to exclude trans student athletes have pointed to the small number of people who are impacted. Charlie Baker, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, testified last year that fewer than 10 of the NCAA’s 522,000+ student athletes identify as trans.
The Trump-Vance administration has reversed course from the Biden-Harris administration’s policy on Title IX rules barring sex-based discrimination.
āIf youāre going to have womenās sports, if youāre going to provide opportunities for women, then they have to be equally safe, equally fair, and equally private opportunities, and so that means that youāre going to preserve womenās sports for women,” a White House official said prior to the issuance of the order.
Former President Joe Biden’s Title IX rules, which went into effect last year, clarified that pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), sex-based discrimination includes that which is based on the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The White House official indicated that the administration will consider additional guidance, regulations, and interpretations of Title IX, as well as exploring options to handle noncompliance by threatening federal funding for schools and education programs.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump ādoes expect the Olympic Committee and the NCAA to no longer allow men to compete in womenās sports.ā
One of the first legislative moves by the new Congress last month was House Republicans’ passage of the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act,” which would ban trans women and girls from participating in competitive athletics.
The bill is now before the U.S. Senate, where Republicans have a three-seat majority but would need 60 votes to overcome the filibuster.
California
Los Angeles Blade names new publisher
Alexander Rodriguez brings deep media, business experience to outlet

The Los Angeles Blade, Southern Californiaās leading LGBTQ news outlet, today announced the appointment of a new publisher, Alexander Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has a long background in queer media, business development, and a deep commitment to the Los Angeles community. He has worked as a lead writer and podcast host for Metrosource Magazine and for GED Magazine; content director for FleshBot Gay; and as host and producer for the āOn the Rocksā podcast. On the business side, Rodriguez spent years working in business development in the banking industry throughout Los Angeles. He also has an extensive background in event planning and management and has served on the boards of many LGBTQ non-profits. As a TV and radio personality, he has served as emcee for LGBTQ events around the nation.
āIām excited to bring my diverse media and business experience to the Los Angeles Blade,ā Rodriguez said. āWe will continue the Bladeās mission of serving as our communityās news outlet of record during these challenging times and work toward building bridges within our community and beyond.ā
Rodriguez starts in his new role on Monday, Feb. 3.
āWe are thrilled to welcome Alexander to the Blade team,ā said Kevin Naff, one of the owners of the Los Angeles Blade. āHis multimedia and business side experience will help us grow the Blade in L.A. and continue our commitment to best-in-class journalism serving the LGBTQ community in Southern California.ā
Rodriguez becomes the Los Angeles Bladeās second publisher following the unexpected death of founding publisher Troy Masters in December. Masters served in the role for nearly eight years. The community will come together for a celebration of Mastersās life on Monday, Feb. 10, 7-9 p.m. at the Abbey.
āTroyās legacy is in good hands with Alexander at the helm alongside our new local news editor, Gisselle Palomera,ā Naff added.
The Los Angeles Blade, launched in 2017, celebrates its eighth anniversary in March. It is the sister publication of the Washington Blade, founded in 1969, which offers unmatched coverage of queer political news and is the only LGBTQ outlet in the White House press pool and the White House Correspondentsā Association, and the only LGBTQ outlet with a dedicated seat in the White House briefing room.
Alexander Rodriguez can be reached at [email protected].
National
Board members for LGBTQ foreign affairs group resign amid Trump attacks
GLIFAA vows to keep fighting outside the government

The board of the affinity group Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA) announced āextraordinary measures,ā including a spate of resignations, on Friday to keep in compliance with President Trumpās āDefending Womenā executive order.
GLIFAA, an employee resource group that advocates for LGBTQ inclusion, equality, and workplace protections within U.S. foreign affairs agencies, announced that elected board members who were active U.S. government employees stepped down. The group was forced to take the drastic step amid Trumpās attacks on federal workers and efforts to slash spending. In a letter obtained by the Washington Blade, GLIFAA says that its work within the Executive Office will end because of Trumpās āDefending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Governmentā order, but will continue advocating for LGBTQ federal workers through its independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization status outside of its former official government capacity.
Executive Order 14168, also known as the āDefending Womenā order, prompted this change within GLIFAA. It mandates that federal agencies recognize only two sexes, prohibits the use of gender identity in federal documents, and stops funding for gender-affirming care and any programs promoting āgender ideology.ā
In the letter sent on Friday, the organization explained its board members resigned to comply with the recent executive order on LGBTQ rights, but not before appointing an interim board to help make the shift out of the federal government. It also urged all members of GLIFAA to remove any work email accounts connected with the organization and switch them to personal email addresses to avoid any potential retaliation, as well as to pay membership dues to allow the organization to continue protecting LGBTQ federal workers.Ā
Despite these changes to the organization’s structure and ability to work in an official capacity within the government, the message was clear that GLIFAA will adapt to these changes to continue supporting LGBTQ federal workers, as well as other LGBTQ people facing oppression.
āWe recognize the deep challenges this moment poses to both our membership and our mission to advocate for human rights, dignity, and equal access to opportunities for all members of our Community,ā the letter reads. āSince 1992, GLIFAA has successfully advocated for policies that reversed discriminatory security clearance denials, secured benefits and accreditation for our spouses and family members, expanded healthcare and insurance coverage to meet the needs of our community, and promoted the advancement of human rights globally. We began this work in 1992 without official Department recognition, and while our activities as an employee organization have ceased for now, our mission to advocate for full legal and social equality for our members and their family members in the U.S. foreign affairs community will continue, albeit under different terms.ā
The letter continued, advocating for perseverance amid an administration that has been hostile to the LGBTQ community, especially the trans community.
āIn challenging times, the strength and resilience of our community matters more than ever. GLIFAA always has and always will represent all letters of the LGBTQIA rainbow. We are strongest when we stand together. So, we urge you to reach out to other members, uplift your colleagues and friends, and carry forward GLIFAAās unwavering spirit of resilience, determination, and support for equality ā wherever you are.ā
This comes days after multiple federal government websites wiped any mention of transgender people, removed mentions of how HIV and other health problems disproportionately impact the LGBTQ community, and information on Civil Rights protections to comply with Trumpās executive order. Some websites affected by this order include formerly non-partisan organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Census Bureau, and National Park Service.
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