LGBTQ
Follow the latest LGBTQ news, videos, and analysis from ABC News.
May 3, 2024 at 7:26 PM

Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers

The health insurer Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit over whether its fertility treatment coverage discriminates against LGBTQ+ patients
May 3, 2024 at 7:26 PM
FILE - A sign sits on the campus of the insurance and managed health care company Aetna, Aug. 28, 2020, in Hartford, Conn. Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ patients. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes, File)
May 1, 2024 at 4:21 PM

United Methodists repeal their church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy

United Methodists, at major conference, repeal their church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy
May 1, 2024 at 4:21 PM
April 30, 2024 at 11:10 PM

Republican states challenge new Title IX rules protecting LGBTQ+ students

Another six Republican states are piling on to challenge the Biden administration’s newly expanded campus sexual assault rules, saying they overstep the president’s authority and undermine the Title IX anti-discrimination law
April 30, 2024 at 11:10 PM
FILE - Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. Republican states are filing a barrage of legal challenges against the Biden administration's newly expanded campus sexual assault rules, saying they overstep the president's authority and undermine the Title IX anti-discrimination law. (AP Photo/Patrick Orsagos, File)
April 30, 2024 at 4:30 AM

Kansas bill to limit gender-affirming care for transgender minors dies after failed veto override

A proposed ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors in Kansas has died
April 30, 2024 at 4:30 AM
Kansas Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, speaks against overriding Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Sykes argues that the ban would deny transgender children crucial care that helps lessen severe depression and suicidal tendencies. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
April 29, 2024 at 8:54 PM

West Virginia's and North Carolina's transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges rule

A federal appeals court has ruled that West Virginia's and North Carolina’s refusal to cover certain health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory
April 29, 2024 at 8:54 PM
FILE - Connor Thonen-Fleck addresses reporters while his parents stand by his side, March 11, 2019, in Durham, N.C. West Virginia and North Carolina's refusal to cover certain health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory, a federal appeals court ruled Monday, April 29, 2024 in a case likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. (AP Photo/ Jonathan Drew, FIle)
April 29, 2024 at 8:03 PM

Sophia Bush reflects on coming out as queer, encourages those on their 'journey'

Sophia Bush reflected on her announcement on Instagram quoting poet Maggie Smith.
April 29, 2024 at 8:03 PM
Actress Sophia Bush as she arrives at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, April 27, 2024.
April 29, 2024 at 1:10 AM

Passage of harsh anti-LGBTQ+ law in Iraq draws diplomatic backlash

Human rights groups and diplomat have criticized a law that was quietly passed by the Iraqi parliament over the weekend that would impose heavy prison sentences on gay and transgender people
April 29, 2024 at 1:10 AM
FILE - Supporters of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr sign a pledge to stand against homosexuality or LGBTQ, outside a mosque in Kufa, Iraq, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. Human rights groups and diplomats criticized a law that was quietly passed by the Iraqi parliament over the weekend that would impose heavy prison sentences on gay and transgender people. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil, File)
April 27, 2024 at 1:21 AM

Drag queens of HBO’s “WE’RE HERE” risk arrest to change minds

ABC News’ Linsey Davis spoke with “WE’RE HERE” stars Latrice Royale, Sasha Velour, Jaida Essence Hall, and Priyanka about building queer community in small town America and the power of voting.
April 27, 2024 at 1:21 AM
VIDEO: Drag queens of HBO’s “WE’RE HERE” risk arrest to change minds
April 25, 2024 at 9:42 PM

Gay actor's speech back on at Pennsylvania school after cancellation over his 'lifestyle'

A Pennsylvania school district has reversed the cancellation of an appearance by actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy
April 25, 2024 at 9:42 PM
FILE - Actor Maulik Pancholy attends the premiere of "Trishna" during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, April 27, 2012 in New York. The school board has reversed it's decision to cancel an upcoming speech by Pancholy due to concerns about what they described as his activism and “lifestyle.” The board voted 5-4, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, to allow Pancholy to speak at assembly next month where he will speak out against bullying.(AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)
April 25, 2024 at 5:29 PM

Sophia Bush says she can 'finally feel like I can breathe' after coming out as queer

Sophie Bush is opening up about her new love with former US Women's soccer player Ashlyn Harris.
April 25, 2024 at 5:29 PM
Sophia Bush opens up on finding new love in her latest Glamour interview.
April 25, 2024 at 1:10 AM

Expanded so-called 'Don't Say Gay' education restrictions advance in Alabama

Alabama is on track to further restrict discussions of "gender identity or sexual orientation" in public schools in a new proposal of the so-called "Don't So Gay" law.
April 25, 2024 at 1:10 AM
A person holds up a sign reading, "Trans People Belong in Alabama," during a rally outside the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala., on International Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31, 2023.
April 22, 2024 at 8:10 PM

Melania Trump announces push for gay conservatives during fundraiser, organizer says

Melania Trump at a fundraiser on Saturday announced a major voter outreach initiative to garner conservative gay and lesbian support for her husband, an organizer said
April 22, 2024 at 8:10 PM
Former First Lady Melania Trump speaks at a fundraiser for pro-conservative LGBT organization Log Cabin Republicans at Mar-a-Lago on April 20,2024.
April 19, 2024 at 9:02 PM

Biden’s new Title IX rules protect LGBTQ+ students, trans sports rule still on hold

The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under new rules from the Biden administration
April 19, 2024 at 9:02 PM
FILE - House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx R-N.C., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 17, 2024. The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday, April19, 2024, by the Biden administration. Foxx said the new regulation threatens decades of advancement for women and girls. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
April 19, 2024 at 2:07 PM

'I don't think she'd be alive:' Trans youth care bans put pressure on families

Legislation restricting gender-affirming health care for transgender youth in at least 23 states has forced families to drive hours to access medical care.
April 19, 2024 at 2:07 PM
In this Aug. 30, 2023, file photo, students protest against Katy ISD's new transgender policy outside the school district's educational support complex, in Katy, Texas.
April 16, 2024 at 10:15 AM

Supreme Court allows Idaho to enforce ban on gender-affirming care for minors

A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed Idaho to proceed with enforcement of a new law aimed at prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors.
April 16, 2024 at 10:15 AM
The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, D.C., March 26, 2024.
April 13, 2024 at 4:18 PM

Kansas governor vetoes gender-affirming trans youth care ban

Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth in Kansas.
April 13, 2024 at 4:18 PM
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly speaks during the State of the State address at the Kansas State Capital on Jan. 10, 2024, in Topeka, Kan.
April 11, 2024 at 4:49 PM

What the new trans care recommendations from the NHS England report mean

A new report from the National Health Service England’s Dr. Hilary Cass advocates for further research on gender-affirming care for transgender youth and young adults.
April 11, 2024 at 4:49 PM
A photograph taken on April 10, 2024, in London, shows the entrance of the NHS Tavistock center, where the Tavistock Clinic hosted the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) for children until March 28, 2024.
April 10, 2024 at 8:11 PM

UK prime minister welcomes report on youth gender care

The new report said that medical evidence underlying gender care for adolescents is “remarkably weak.”
April 10, 2024 at 8:11 PM
The new report said that medical evidence underlying gender care for adolescents is “remarkably weak.”
1 month ago

Report: LGBTQ content drove book banning efforts in 2023

According to the American Library Association, LGBTQ content drove book-banning efforts in 2023. “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe topped the list for the third year.
1 month ago
“Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe
1 month ago

Melania Trump to headline Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for conservative LGBT group

Former first lady Melania Trump will be headlining a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser later this month for Log Cabin Republicans.
1 month ago
Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump arrive at a polling station at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, March 19, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla.
1 month ago

WH bashes 'dishonest' GOP criticism of Biden's transgender proclamation on Easter

The White House is pushing back against top Republicans' misleading criticism of Biden's Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation on the same day as Easter
1 month ago
President Joe Biden speaks at the Washoe Democratic Party Office in Reno, Nev., on March 19, 2024.
1 month ago

Two charged in transgender activist Cecilia Gentili's death

Two people have been charged in the death of transgender activist Cecilia Gentili.
1 month ago
Transgender activist Cecilia Gentili poses for a photo at the offices of the Oxford University Press in New York on April 24, 2014.
1 month ago

Lawsuit filed against Ohio trans care ban legislation

A lawsuit has been filed against Ohio's House Bill 68, which bans gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
1 month ago
Protesters advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse, on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio.
1 month ago

Drag story hours continue to be targets amid conservative backlash

Drag story hours across the country have become targets for bomb threats. Lancaster Public Library became the most recent story hour impacted.
1 month ago
Drag story hours across the country have become targets for bomb threats. Lancaster Public Library became the most recent story hour impacted.
1 month ago

WH slams funding bill provision that would keep US embassies from flying Pride flags

The White House slammed the GOP for including a provision in the government funding bill that essentially bans LGBTQ+ Pride flags from being flown over U.S. embassies.
1 month ago
A Pride flag is displayed during a Pride celebration on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 10, 2023. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)
1 month ago

No charges to be filed in school fight involving Nex Benedict: DA

No charges will be filed in connection with a fight that Oklahoma teen Nex Benedict was involved in a day before they died, the Tulsa County district attorney said.
1 month ago
In this image provided Malia Pila, Nex Benedict poses outside the family's home in Owasso, Okla., in December 2023.
2 months ago

More than a dozen athletes sue NCAA over their transgender participation policy

The lawsuit stems from an NCAA policy that allows transgender athletes to compete in the category of their affirmed gender on a sport-by-sport basis.
2 months ago
In this Dec. 5, 2023, file photo, former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines testifies during a House Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C.
2 months ago

College athletes file lawsuit over NCAA's transgender policy

A group of current and former elite athletes say that allowing swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, who competed in the national championships in 2022 violated their Title IX rights.
2 months ago
VIDEO: College athletes file lawsuit over NCAA's transgender policy
2 months ago

Former students, parents speak on anti-LGBTQ bullying at Nex Benedict's school

Nex Benedict's death has been ruled a suicide, shining a renewed spotlight on the intensifying environment in Oklahoma schools and anti-LGBTQ bullying.
2 months ago
In this image provided Malia Pila, Nex Benedict poses outside the family's home in Owasso, Okla., in December 2023.
2 months ago

LGBTQ teen Nex Benedict died by suicide, medical examiner says

An autopsy report released by the Oklahoma’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Nex Benedict, a member of the 2SLGBTQ community, died by suicide.
2 months ago
Nex Benedict, 16, died one day after a physical altercation with other students in their Oklahoma school.
2 months ago

These performers announced as headliners for Outloud Music Festival

The headliners have been revealed for Outloud Festival, a Pride-themed music event held in West Hollywood.
2 months ago
Kylie Minogue, Janelle Monae
2 months ago

England's NHS halts puberty blockers for transgender youth amid research efforts

England's National Health Service has banned the use of puberty blockers for the treatment of gender dysphoria or gender incongruence in minors.
2 months ago
A National Health Service (NHS) sign is shown February 19, 2003 in London, England.
2 months ago

LGBTQ+ voters look a lot like swing voters

An exclusive new poll of LGBTQ+ voters finds wide support for Joe Biden, but more moderate political views.
2 months ago
There's a new poll out of LGBTQ+ voters.
2 months ago

New bill would convict teachers of felony, put on sex offender list for trans support

A new Missouri bill would make it a felony offense for school teachers or counselors to support or contribute to the social transitioning of a transgender minor.
2 months ago
A marcher carries a Transgender Pride flag during a march in Kansas City.
2 months ago

RuPaul opens up on decades of fame in new memoir

Robin Roberts talks with RuPaul about his new memoir "The House of Hidden Meanings," and how he has worked to leave his mark in the entertainment world.
2 months ago
VIDEO:  RuPaul opens up on decades of fame in new memoir
2 months ago

New York AG sends cease-and-desist over transgender sports ban in Nassau County

The AG's office argues that the order is "in clear violation of New York State anti-discrimination laws and demands that it be immediately rescinded."
2 months ago
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a news conference, Sept. 21, 2022, in New York.
2 months ago

Students walk out over nonbinary student's death, anti-LGBTQ bullying in Oklahoma

Students walked out at Owasso High School in Oklahoma, where nonbinary student Nex Benedict got in a fight a day before they died, in protest of anti-LGBTQ bullying.
2 months ago
Community members participate in a candlelight vigil for Nex Benedict in Tulsa, OK, Feb. 25, 2024.
2 months ago

Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric prompts calls for Oklahoma education superintendent's removal

Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters is standing by policies affecting the transgender community in schools following the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict.
2 months ago
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters spoke with ABC News about Nex Benedict's death and issues of anti-LGBTQ bullying in Oklahoma schools.
2 months ago

Oklahoma state superintendent stands by anti-LGBTQ+ policies Nex Benedict death

About 350 national, state, and local organizations have now called for the superintendent to step down after the death of Nex Benedict.
2 months ago
About 350 national, state, and local organizations have now called for the superintendent to step down after the death of Nex Benedict.
2 months ago

Oklahoma students demand action after death of nonbinary student

Students at Owasso High School in Oklahoma walked out Monday in protest of bullying and in support of the school's 2SLGBTQ community following the death of nonbinary student Nex Benedict.
2 months ago
VIDEO: Oklahoma students demand action after death of nonbinary student
2 months ago

Oklahoma students stage walkout after nonbinary teen’s death

Nex Benedict, 16, died one day after a fight with three female students at Owasso High School on Feb. 7.
2 months ago
Nex Benedict, 16, died one day after a fight with three female students at Owasso High School on Feb. 7.
2 months ago

Nonbinary teen seen describing fight in police footage before death

Newly released footage shows Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teen who died one day after a physical altercation at their high school, describing what led up to the fight.
2 months ago
In this frame grab taken from body camera video provided by the Owasso, Okla., Police Department, an officer, hand at right, speaks to 16-year-old Nex Benedict, left, and their mother, Sue Benedict, at a hospital, on Feb. 7, 2024.
2 months ago

Vigils held to remember bullied 16-year-old Oklahoma student

Nex Benedict, who identified as non-binary and was repeatedly bullied, died a day after being attacked in a high school bathroom.
2 months ago
VIDEO: Vigils held to remember bullied 16-year-old Oklahoma student
2 months ago

Oklahoma episcopal church holds prayer vigil for nonbinary teen

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma, held a prayer vigil for a nonbinary teen who died following a physical altercation.
2 months ago
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma, held a prayer vigil for a nonbinary teen who died following a physical altercation.
2 months ago

Nonbinary teen's death sparks anti-LGBTQ sentiment concerns

Vice President Kamala Harris and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre have spoken out regarding the death of Nex Benedict, who died one day after a fight.
2 months ago
In this image provided Malia Pila, Nex Benedict poses outside the family's home in Owasso, Okla., in December 2023.
2 months ago

Police don't believe nonbinary student died from altercation

Investigators in Owasso, Oklahoma, are investigating the death of a nonbinary student one day after a physical altercation with other students.
2 months ago
In this image provided Malia Pila, Nex Benedict poses outside the family's home in Owasso, Okla., in December 2023.
2 months ago

New survey captures national divide on teaching race, LGBTQ issues in classrooms

In a new survey, the Pew Research Center asked public K-12 teachers, teens, and the American public about teaching the topics of race and LGBTQ identities.
2 months ago
Great Oak High School students leave campus Dec. 16, 2022, in protest of the districts ban of critical race theory curriculum in Temecula, Calif.
2 months ago

Death of Oklahoma nonbinary student raises questions

An investigation is underway into the death of an Oklahoma nonbinary teen after a fight at school. Their death is galvanizing the LGBTQ community amid concerns over bullying for their gender identity.
2 months ago
VIDEO: Death of Oklahoma nonbinary student raises questions
2 months ago

Nonbinary student dies after school fight

Investigators in Owasso, Oklahoma, are investigating the death of nonbinary student Nex Benedict one day after a physical altercation with other students. Some are calling for answers.
2 months ago
Investigators in Owasso, Oklahoma, are investigating the death of nonbinary student Nex Benedict one day after a physical altercation with other students. Some are calling for answers.
3 months ago

Georgia educators sue district over race, LGBTQ classroom restrictions

A lawsuit has been filed by the Georgia Association of Educators against Cobb County Schools officials over alleged education "censorship" on racial and LGBTQ topics.
3 months ago
Katie Rinderle speaks during the MoveOn Political Action's Banned Book Mobile event with local authors and teachers on Oct. 01, 2023 in Decatur, Ga.