Southern Equality

Trans youth nationwide are under attack: 25 states have passed gender-affirming care bans. These awful bans have expanded beyond the South, so we’re taking our support national 🏳️‍⚧️ Today, we’re launching the Trans Youth Emergency Project. Get support: transyouthemergencyproject.org

What’s the “powerful medicine” that trans and non-binary folks hold? Check out this explanation from Laura Yohualtlahuiz Rios-Ramirez (she/they), a Xicana scholar and strategist. Check out the Trans Cookout podcast wherever you get your podcasts. youtube.com/watch?v=E4EFTz…

Our next monthly support group for parents & caregivers of trans youth is coming up! The next virtual event will be held Sunday, May 24th at 6:30 PM EST. Learn more and register: southernequality.org/tyepparentsupp…

Colorado Children’s Hospital is one of many across the country that stopped offering the youth gender-affirming care due to federal pressure– but the court has ruled that this stoppage violates the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-p…

Huge congratulations to our friend Ian Palmquist on receiving The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, one of the highest civilian honors awarded by the North Carolina Governor’s Office. Read more: southernequality.org/lgbtq-movement…

If you are a transgender adult who has experienced an interruption to your healthcare in recent months – regardless of where you live – please fill out our confidential survey and tell us about your experience. southernequality.org/adultcare/

Across the South and around the country, gender-affirming care is becoming more difficult for adults to access. That’s why we are releasing this community advisory– to make the public aware of barriers to care for adults, and offer resources. Read more: southernequality.org/transadultcare/

This week in The Lavender South: In To Little Me, Dr. Stephen Emberley writes with compassion to their younger self about resilience and self-liberation. Read the full poem and more from The Lavender South at #new" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">southernequality.org/the-lavender-s…

Join @RedWineBlueUSA and Campaign for Southern Equality for a virtual workshop where you will learn how to fight back against censorship and get diverse books back in your child’s classroom. Register at bit.ly/4nyAT6K

An update for our Asheville folks! There will not be an LGBTQ+ Resource & Resilience Center this month at the Campaign for Southern Equality – we'll miss you, but can't wait to see folks in June for a special pride LGBTQ+ Resource and Resilience Center on June 25th.

Across the South, lawmakers are moving to redraw maps and eliminate voting districts that provided fair representation for Black voters. The right to vote is one of our most essential freedoms – we will not look away as democracy is dismantled. Read more: washingtoninformer.com/southern-redis…

Many LGBTQ+ seniors face isolation and barriers to housing and care. A new episode of Embodied explores how queer elders are building community centered ways to age with support. wunc.org/show/embodied/…

High school athlete Becky Pepper-Jackson just wants to compete, improve, and be part of her team, but her future in sports now hangs on a Supreme Court decision. A ruling in favor of state bans could end her ability to compete altogether. Read more ▶️ apnews.com/article/suprem…

Nearly half of states already have policies on the books restricting the use of Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care– and this ruling supports those policies. Gender-affirming care is medically-necessary healthcare, and should be covered by insurance. stateline.org/2026/04/24/cou…

This week’s featured writer in The Lavender South is Anne Kinsey (@annekinsey; a poet from NC. In their poem Dear Younger Me, Anne writes to their younger self about identity, survival, and the long journey toward becoming yourself. Read Anne’s full poem: #new" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">southernequality.org/the-lavender-s…

Virginians will have the opportunity to vote to protect marriage equality this November. Lawmakers have approved a ballot initiative to pass a constitutional amendment that will remove VA’s outdated ban and ensure all marriages are treated equally. commonwealthtimes.org/2026/04/15/vir…

Louisiana lawmakers are advancing a bill that would replace “gender” with “sex” in state law, defining it strictly by what’s assigned at birth and stripping recognition of trans and intersex people. Read more about what’s at stake ▶️ them.us/story/louisian…

For the first time in years, no anti-LGBTQ laws passed in Kentucky’s 2026 legislative session, despite multiple bills being introduced. Advocates at @FairnessCamp say organized advocacy and community pressure helped stop them. ▶️ queerkentucky.com/kentucky-no-an…

We are proud to introduce SEAT (@studentsengaged), one of the recipients of our 2025 Back-to-School Mini Grants. Learn more about our Back-to-School Mini grantees: southernequality.org/back-to-school…

Florida is pulling funding from AHF, a major HIV service provider. This will disrupt lifesaving treatment, reverse shrinking infection rates, and unravel years of progress. Read more ▶️ cbsnews.com/miami/news/flo…

Our eyes are on Tennessee, where a long list of bills eroding trans and gender diverse people's ability to participate in public life are headed to the governor for his signature. Read more: advocate.com/politics/state…