Community Archives

NYC Pride Installation Helped Visitors Fax Anti-LGBTQ+ Lawmakers

28Jun

By str8darNo Comments

Activism, Community

NYC Pride Installation Helped Visitors Fax Anti-LGBTQ+ Lawmakers

In an effort to flood anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers with faxes relating to queer love & identity. Havas New York set up an installation that allowed NYC pride attendees to fax the legislators behind the 300+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have been introduced this year. This was done through a series of installations featuring QR codes that allowed visitors to fax different anti-LGBTQ+ legislators directly. Legislators are by law prohibited from turning off their fax machines. The installation consisted of a series of billboards, each one featuring a different anti-LGBTQ+ bill along with a QR code with a call-to-action. NYC pride is one of the biggest LGBTQ+ celebrations in the world and with this installation Havas New York hoped to flood legislators and bury the bills. Each installation generat...

10Jun

By str8darNo Comments

Community

Amount of U.S. Gay Bars Declining

New data shows that the number of gay bars in the country is declining. Which some warn could lead to people from the LGBTQ+ community having less safe spaces to be themselves in public. Professor Greggor Mattson, who teaches Sociology at Oberlin college, made some troubling discoveries in his research. In Chicago, more than a third of all gay bars closed between 2007 and 2019. This trend seems to have been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic as there were 38 gay bars in 2019 compared to the 26 in 2021. Showing a 23.% decrease in gay bars in Chicago over the span of two years. This is problematic as some argue that gay bars are some of the only places within our society where LGBTQ+ people fully can be themselves in public. However, the trend seems to affect bars that primarily ta...

30% of LGBTQ+ College Students Suffer From Suicidal Thoughts

9Jun

By str8darNo Comments

Community, Health

30% of LGBTQ+ College Students Suffer From Suicidal Thoughts

Recent research has revealed that nearly one-third of LGBTQ+ college students felt suicidal in the last year. With more than 1 out of 4 responding that they have contemplated abandoning their studies due to mental health related issues. Published on June 9, 2022. The BestColleges study surveyed LGBTQ+ college students and discovered alarming stats. For instance, nearly a third of all respondents had suicidal thoughts during the last year. Almost doubling the suicide rate of straight college students. Proving that young adults in the LGBTQ+ community need society to pay more attention to their mental health. In fact, 92% of LGBTQ+ college students responded that their college experience has been tainted by their mental health. Additionally, the research reveals that more than a thir...

First LGBTQ+ Inclusive Mosque to Open in Houston

8Jun

By str8darNo Comments

Community

First LGBTQ+ Inclusive Mosque to Open in Houston

HOUSTON - LGBTQ+ inclusive Mosque to open within the next few weeks. Pakistani-American Erum Rani who identifies as a queer muslim is spearheading the project. Once open it will become one of the few mosques in the U.S. that serve the LGBTQ+ community. In an interview with Fox 26 Houston, Rani reveals that she’s felt judged as a queer person at Mosque’s in the past. Which is what has inspired her to work towards opening an affirming Mosque. She argues that although religious conservatism may seek to vilify members of the LGBTQ+ community, queer people still have a right to safely practice their religions. Rani states that her past experiences are a testament to how necessary it is for the LGBTQ+ community to have secure places to practice their religions. The opening date has ...

1Jun

By Ernesto FernandezNo Comments

Community

Pride 2022: Where We Are

While pride month is a great opportunity to celebrate the progress we've made, it's also important to be aware of the current threats the community faces as we continue the fight for equality. We’ve gathered the following statistics that shine light on the current state of the community and the issues that plague it. A Gallup poll has revealed that more adults now identify as LGBTQ+ in the U.S. than ever. In fact, the study found that people from generation Z are twice as likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than millennials. Gallup first conducted this poll in 2012 and the percentage of adults who identify as LGBTQ+ has since doubled. According to an analysis from NBC News along with Freedom for all Americans, 238 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been filed in 2022 so far. A survey cond...