It has been less than a week since the United States Supreme Court ruled businesses which provide expressive goods can pick and choose who they want to work with.

The court's conservative majority ruled in favor of Colorado Christian web designer Lorie Smith who refuses to create websites for same-sex weddings due to her religious beliefs and said she is protected by the First Amendment's free speech protections.

Jake Hylton, president and executive director of LOOKOUT publications in Phoenix called the latest move from the Supreme Court a "slippery slope."

"It feels very much like this can and will be the start of something that enables more discrimination and more prejudice against anyone associated with the LGBTQ+ community," Hylton pointed out.

Hylton noted he does not believe it to be a progressive versus conservative issue, but thinks the decision is rooted in what he calls "religious inspired bigotry versus individuality." He added almost anything can be considered a "creative service," and is concerned about where the line will be drawn regarding when someone can arbitrarily discriminate.

Public accommodation nondiscrimination laws protect LGBTQ+ people from being unfairly denied service and entry, or from being discriminated against in public spaces based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

According to Movement Advancement Project, there are 22 states in the nation with explicit laws along those lines. Arizona is not one of them. But states like Arizona without state protections may still provide local-level nondiscrimination provisions. Hylton fears what the ruling could mean for Arizona's LGBTQ+ community.

"A state like Arizona, where this is a very diverse array of people who live here, between more urban and more rural, I think it lends itself to a lot of interpretation that I'm afraid will lead to a lot of harm," Hylton stressed.

Hylton recommended people find ways to stay informed while also building a sense of community and belonging, as he argued the ruling is likely to cause confusion and fear.


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Today is LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day and California advocates are speaking out against federal attacks on workplace protections.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order recognizing "male" and "female" as the only two sexes and withdrawing Biden-era guidance on harassment in the workplace.

Deborah Vagins, national campaign director for Equal Rights Advocates and director of the Equal Pay Today campaign, said Department of Government Efficiency cuts have devastated agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the National Labor Relations Board.

"President Trump took the unprecedented action to fire officials at these independent agencies," Vagins pointed out. "He's laid off hundreds of staff; he's effectively undermined enforcement protections, especially, for LGBTQIA employees."

The administration has said the cuts are necessary to fund an extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts. A 2021 study from the Human Rights Campaign found LGBTQ+ workers make about 90 cents for every dollar earned by other workers, with LGBTQ+ women earning only 87 cents.

Vagins argued the new administration is sending the wrong signals so far.

"The recently renominated acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas has made it clear that she does not plan to fully enforce employment protections for transgender and nonbinary workers," Vagins noted. "They had cases pending at the EEOC that have since been dropped."

Zakiya Thomas, president of the ERA Coalition, emphasized the Equal Rights Amendment has now been ratified by 38 state legislatures, so it should be added to the Constitution but the Trump administration has blocked it.

"The Supreme Court has actually upheld that discrimination against LGBTQ individuals is sex-based discrimination," Thomas stressed. "The Equal Rights Amendment is for everyone and so we want to make sure that we can use it to protect everyone against any kind of discrimination on the basis of sex."

June is Pride Month, and Washington's Lavender Rights Project is celebrating with a Black Trans Comedy Showcase. This is the largest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit, which provides legal and social services for Black trans people.

Angel Patterson, director of development for Lavender Rights, said in the wake of increased attacks on trans rights across the country, the showcase prioritizes the community's health, safety, and joy.

"We are your family too," Patterson explained. "We are your mothers, your brothers, your sisters, your aunties, uncles, cousins, friends, bosses, coworkers. We're all paying parking tickets and taxes the same as everyone else."

Patterson said the showcase will be on June 14th in Seattle and will feature performers from Washington and across the country, including T.S. Madison and Mx Dahlia Belle.

So far, 923 bills targeting trans rights have been introduced across the country this year, and over 100 have passed. Patterson explains that the idea for the showcase came after hearing trans people used as punchlines for jokes in the media.

"Instead of a traditional protest we wanted to reclaim our power in another way that felt sacred to us and this event is truly that and it's a wonderful night to bring our folks together and highlight our work and really just feel the power of pride," Patterson continued.

The comedy showcase will also have auction items to help raise money for the project such as plane tickets, glass blowing classes, concert and sports tickets.

Indiana's largest LGBTQ+ celebration kicks off this weekend as Indy Pride marks its 30th anniversary.

The event expands this year to two days, featuring three major events in downtown Indianapolis. A parade steps off Saturday at 10 a.m. on Mass Ave., followed by a free community gathering at Monument Circle and a two-day concert at American Legion Mall.

Tina Robb, marketing director for Indy Pride, expects tens of thousands of people to attend, and said this year's message is about visibility and unity.

"Pride started out as a protest and as we are seeing in 2025, our rights are being stripped away daily," Robb pointed out. "While it started as a protest, it's going to continue as a protest. And this is our 30th anniversary, so we chose to be loud and bigger than ever this year."

Organizers said the expanded festival reflects both the urgency of the moment and the power of community. June is Pride month and takes place against high profile pushback on equality initiatives by the Trump administration.

Robb noted while some fear rising hate or tension, organizers said they are creating space for joy and safety.

"We can feel the fear," Robb acknowledged. "We can feel the joy is not as high as it normally is, but we need to remember that joy is an act of resistance. We are here for a reason. We have always existed, and we will continue to exist."

Indy Pride expects up to 60,000 people to attend Saturday's parade.


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