A new study from the University of New Hampshire found New England's LGBTQ+ residents experience higher rates of food insufficiency, the measure of whether a household generally has enough food to eat, than other people.
Research shows the overall food insufficiency rate in New England is more than 7%, yet it is nearly double for LGBTQ+ residents, and nearly triple for transgender people.
Isaac Leslie, extension assistant professor of community development at the University of Vermont who was a research associate at the University of New Hampshire, said while New England has a lower food insufficiency rate compared to the rest of the U.S., the study showed not everyone has the same advantage.
"Poverty and systemic discrimination are really at the center of the story here," Leslie asserted. "You see that reflected in food insufficiency rates."
Leslie noted researchers used data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, which in 2021, became one of the first national surveys to include measures of gender identity and sexuality.
LGBTQ+ New Englanders of color experience even higher rates of food insufficiency, with one in three Black transgender New Englanders not having enough food to eat in the past week. Researchers found LGBTQ+ people may be eligible for food assistance programs but feel unsafe providing detailed documents to enroll.
Leslie pointed out there are clear examples of systemic discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, even in progressive New England.
"And you don't find those until you start looking underneath the hood at rates like food insufficiency," Leslie explained.
Leslie added the findings suggest policymakers should address the ways in which racism and discrimination create an ongoing food crisis for LGBTQ+ New Englanders, especially those who are people of color. The findings are published in the journal Agriculture and Human Values.
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A New Mexico, LGBTQ civil rights group says a debunked claim by the Trump-Vance presidential campaign that "sex changes" are taking place in schools is being repeated by some state candidates.
Trump has regularly promoted claims that educators are "grooming" or "indoctrinating" children to become gay or transgender.
Equality New Mexico Executive Director Marshall Martinez said the fear tactic also is being used by a handful of Republican New Mexico candidates, who frame transphobic messaging as support for women.
"Regardless of the political stance that people have on trans folks and the issues they face," said Martinez, "when these lies are told in our communities, it hurts the trans people in that community."
Republican former member of Congress Yvette Herrell, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez - D-Las Cruces - has been accused of using coded anti-transgender rhetoric.
She has denied the allegation, stating that "pro-woman" is not anti-LGBTQ.
But Herrell previously voted against bipartisan legislation to protect marriage equality, and supported an abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest.
Martinez said that research done by Equality New Mexico found 53% of state residents have a close personal relationship with someone who is transgender.
"When these politicians or candidates are spreading lies about surgeries," said Martinez, "and about forcing young people to become trans or pushing an agenda, what they're doing is attacking those close personal relationships we all have."
There is no evidence that gender-affirming surgery has ever occurred at a public school in the U.S, or that a school has sent a student to receive the surgery elsewhere.
Already about half of U.S. states ban transition-related surgery for minors - and where it's legal, it's still very rare.
Transgender young people who experience discrimination have been linked to suicidal ideation and self-harm.
Disclosure: Equality New Mexico contributes to our fund for reporting on Civil Rights, Human Rights/Racial Justice, LGBTQIA Issues, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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OutNebraska's Prairie Pride Film Festival returns for its 14th year this week.
Johnny Redd, communications manager for OutNebraska, said the festival was started because of a lack of cultural events in the Midwest focused on LGBTQ+ stories. Festival changes this year include adding two additional locations and more fiction films.
Redd noted storytelling through films is both entertaining and one of the most impactful ways to shed light on issues.
"Facts and logic can only go so far, and sometimes just being receptive to a story can really be impactful," Redd explained. "We really love the idea of film as an agent of social change and empowerment, and also just celebration and seeing ourselves on the big screen."
The film festival will be in Lincoln on Oct. 17, followed by Hastings and Omaha on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, respectively. Redd believes one documentary, "Seat 31," will resonate with Nebraskans because of its parallels to the contentious 2023 Nebraska legislative session. It features Zooey Zephyr, Montana's first openly transgender state legislator, who was censured for her outspoken opposition to a ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
Seat 31 shows what the film's publicity describes as Zephyr's "shocking, funny and joyous" experiences on the bench she makes her "office" after being barred from the floor of the Montana House. Redd called the story timely, saying wounds still linger in Nebraska from the passage of Legislative Bill 574.
"I think it's a very inspiring story," Redd emphasized. "She still wanted to be able to do her job, even if she wasn't allowed on the legislative floor. I think this will be pretty healing, to see a story from another state that went through something very similar to us."
As of 2020, there are more than 270 LGBTQ+ film festivals worldwide.
Disclosure: OutNebraska contributes to our fund for reporting on LGBTQIA Issues, Reproductive Health, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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The legal process for a person to change their name can feel complicated. A workshop in Boise walked people through it.
The Wrest Collective, a community-funded law firm, and the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence held the clinic to help people with name changes and changing the sex marker on their birth certificates with the state of Idaho.
Casey Parsons, an attorney and cofounder of Wrest Collective, hosted the clinic.
"A lot of folks do feel intimidated and uncertain about how to do it. So, that's part of the purpose of the clinic - to demystify that process and what it takes," Parsons said.
About 30 people attended the workshop, which was called Reclaim Our Names. The name-changing process costs about $300 and the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence raised funds to cover the name-change costs for some of the people who attended.
Parsons said there are many benefits to someone changing their name.
"Having your documents reflect your identity is important for a lot of people legally, but also personally I think it's important, because it's essentially asking the state to recognize you to be who you are," Parsons explained.
Parsons also noted the event was important for reasons beyond the legal aspects.
"There's a lot of value in holding queer-oriented spaces in a city like Boise to make people feel supported, and so that they can see and know that, while things are bad here, we're not alone," Parsons added.
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