LGBTQ
Alabama committee advances ban on LGBTQ+ pride flags in classrooms
The Senate Education Policy Committee voted 5-2 for the House-passed bill, putting the proposal in line for a possible final passage in the last four days of the legislative session.
LGBTQ community finds a home in Birmingham’s punk scene
Plenty of people are familiar with the sound and look of punk. But not as many are familiar with the importance of compassion when it comes to being a punk. That's meant the punk scene has become a refuge for some LGTBQ individuals.
LGBTQ doctors are leaving the Gulf South due to discrimination: ‘We weren’t welcome anymore’
The loss of specialized doctors due to the influx of anti-LGBTQ laws is the latest blow to a region already dealing with a shortage of health care providers.
Pastor’s suicide brings grief, warnings of the dangers of outing amid erosion of LGBTQ+ rights
Copeland he took his own life two days after a conservative news site exposed social media posts where he appeared in women’s clothing, a wig and makeup.
Book bans are on the rise in the Gulf South. Here’s what’s being challenged in Alabama
Efforts to ban books believed to be inappropriate for children and teens have seen a sharp uptick recently, but some libraries and bookstores are fighting back.
United Methodists lose one-fifth of US churches in schism driven by growing defiance of LGBTQ bans
Roughly half of churches in the United Methodist Church North Alabama Conference have voted to disaffiliate within the last year, according to new study.
‘Kids will end their lives’: Anti-trans legislation is impacting mental health in the Gulf South
As book bans and legislation pile up, a Louisiana trans teen describes the mental toll it’s taking on him and highlights the importance of support systems.
Alabama lawmakers debate legal definition of ‘woman’
The “What is a Woman” Act drew a full crowd to a public hearing Wednesday and LGBTQ advocacy groups marched outside the statehouse.
Despite pushback, the organizers of Cullman’s first pride event are pushing forward
The announcement of Saturday’s event drew threats and calls for counter-protests. In response, LGBTQ+ communities across the state have offered their support.
Southern Decadence returns to New Orleans, marked by parades and monkeypox awareness
Health officials gave out monkeypox vaccines and encouraged everyone — not just the LGBTQ community — to take the virus more seriously at the annual festival.
Some teachers and LGBTQ families feel censored by Alabama’s “Don’t Say Gay” law
Alabama passed its own so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law in April following states like Florida. It bans discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in K-5 classrooms.
Judge’s ruling a “sigh of relief” for families of transgender youth
A federal judge in Alabama ruled to block part of a law that makes it a felony to provide gender-affirming care to minors on Friday. Families with transgender kids tell WBHM they are cautiously relieved.
Families with trans kids prepare for the ban on gender-affirming care
A new law in Alabama would make it a felony to provide gender-affirming treatments for transgender minors. The law is forcing some families with transgender kids to choose between staying in the place they love and protecting their children.
Lavender Celebration honors LGBTQ students at UAB
Lavender Graduations, or Lavender Celebrations, are ceremonies that honor LGBTQ college graduates and their accomplishments. UAB has hosted an annual Lavender Celebration since 2017, but this year’s took on new meaning with new laws targeting transgender students.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Updated Sex Ed Language, DA’s Fight Medical Marijuana Bill
Alabama lawmakers have been more receptive to bills that ease restrictions on alcohol this year. Senators approved a wine delivery bill this week without much debate.
Alabama Ban On Gender Therapies Moves Forward
Doctors would not be allowed to administer gender therapies to youth, according to a bill moving forward in the Alabama Legislature. Opponents say the bill is fear mongering.
Proposed Charter School Plans to Serve LGBTQ Youth
Many students who identify as LGBTQ here in Alabama say they’ve been harassed or assaulted because of their sexuality. A new charter school proposed in Birmingham aims to make these young people feel safe in the classroom.
State Lawmakers Consider Eliminating Marriage Licenses
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling allowing same-sex marriage was a hard pill to swallow for some Alabama probate judges. Some still refuse to issue marriage licenses in their counties. But a proposed bill could force them to comply with federal law.
Program Seeks to Preserve Queer History in Alabama
The South has the highest concentration of LGBTQ adults in the U.S. But they’ve largely flown under the radar, so collecting their stories has been a challenge. Enter the Invisible Histories Project, which seeks to showcase LGBTQ life in Alabama.
When Your Child Isn’t the Child You Expected
Sometimes children turn out differently than parents had hoped or expected. Writer and psychologist Andrew Solomon, author of Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, looked at how parents manage to find profound meaning in raising exceptional children.
New Initiative Seeks to Preserve Alabama LGBTQ Histories
Invisible Histories Project Alabama is aimed at finding, recording and preserving what the group calls the “always vanishing” stories of LGBTQ Alabamians.
Southeast is Home to Largest LGBT Population, Report Finds
The Southeast is home to roughly 35 percent of LGBT people in the U.S., the largest LGBT population in the country, according to data compiled by the Williams Institute at UCLA.
New Documentary Highlights Lesbian Struggle for Equality in Alabama
The film follows three lesbian couples, a group that directors say has historically been invisible in Alabama.
A Very Sordid Wedding Mirrors Familiar Same-Sex Themes
The sequel to Del Shores' cult film and TV series Sordid Lives debuts in Birmingham Thursday.
Attorney: Moore Decision Disregards “Rule of Law”
Lawyers for former Chief Justice Roy Moore are appealing his removal from office saying the move was a disregard for the “rule of law.” Attorneys with the Liberty Counsel, a conservative non-profit law firm out of Florida that represents Moore, filed the appeal yesterday. It once again comes down to semantics. Among other arguments, Moore’s […]
Roy Moore Calling His Second Ouster “Politically Motivated”
Moore is calling his punishment the result of a "politically motivated effort by radical homosexual and transgender groups," who targeted him because of what he calls his "outspoken opposition to their immoral agenda."
Fate of Chief Justice Roy Moore Hangs in the Balance
Several children were among the overall peaceful protestors that gathered at the state Supreme Court Wednesday for the trial of yet another high-ranking Alabama official, Roy Moore.
Roy Moore Faces Removal from Bench for Second Time in 13 Years
Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is facing removal from the bench for the second time in 13 years. Moore goes to trial Wednesday on judicial ethics charges for allegedly ignoring a U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage.
What it’s Like Being “Out in Alabama”
Alabama native and 31-year-old Joshua Glenn talks about his role in the film and its significance to the LGBT people in Birmingham and the South.
Hate-Filled Heckling in the Name of Religion
The hearing Monday for suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore sparked disturbing heckles directed at members of the LGBT community. Moore supporters chanted anti-gay slurs and mocked a speaker attempting to give an emotional testimony. For more on this and other news, we turn to John Archibald, columnist for the Alabama Media Group.
Gay Rights Group Calling for Moore’s Ouster Through Public Advertisement
The Human Rights Campaign, a group that advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community put the sign up in downtown Montgomery. The sign went up just days before Moore’s hearing on judicial ethics charges. In January, he sent an order to probate judges saying the state’s gay marriage ban was still in effect even after a U.S. Supreme Court decision legalized same-sex marriage.
Orlando Shooting Shakes Birmingham LGBT Community
Sunday was Birmingham's Pride celebration, in honor of National Pride month. It's a time when lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies come together to honor the LGBT community. That event was marred by what is now known as the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Early Sunday morning a man entered a crowded gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida and began shooting. At least 49 people are dead and dozens more injured. WBHM's Esther Ciammachili spoke with Eva Walton Kendrick of the Human Rights Campaign of Alabama, an LGBTQ advocacy group. Kendrick says this tragedy has shaken the LGBT community in Birmingham.
