🌈LGBTQ+ News

12 May 2022

How loneliness can be debilitating for LGBTQ+ folk (Pink News) – For many, loneliness is a simply reminder of the things we’re missing out on. But when experienced for too long, it becomes a quiet, aching feeling of being alone against your will.

Why we need to start talking about how we’re truly feeling (Gay Times) – Mental health can seem like a daunting subject, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. We spoke to LGBTQ+ people to get an insight into how mental health impacts the community and how we can constructively tackle the taboos of the subject. 

‘SNL’ star Bowen Yang says LGBTQ bars and restaurants are ‘so vital and have to be protected’ (NBC Today) – Yang is hoping to shine a light on the alarming trend of permanent closures of LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the country.

Celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month With Gear From Brands That Give Back (MSN) – Here are companies that have Pride-themed gear, including sneakers, apparel, accessories and more, with charitable components that support causes that impact LGBTQ people. Check back for updates.

Sex and Gender: What’s the Difference? (Psych Central) – The terms “sex and gender’’ are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things. Here’s why the difference matters.

11 May 2022

Prepping For Pride 2022 & Beyond: Engaging A Booming LGBTQ+ Consumer Landscape (Forbes) – LGBTQ+ Pride month is a big deal for brands, possibly even a deal-breaker considering the groundswell of LGBTQ+ consumers. According to GAY TIMES analysis (using a combination IPSOS and UN Population data) it’s a group predicted to hit 1 billion globally by 2050, with Gallup’s 2022 study revealing 7.1% of Americans already identify as such (57% of whom classify themselves as bisexual). Importantly, roughly 21% of all adult Gen Z Americans now identify as LGBTQ+, indicating a distinct shift towards a post-heteronormative society, or certainly more genreless future generations.

10 May 2022

Grindr Announces Plans to Go Public With Multi-Billion Valuation (The Advocate) – Grindr is going public. The gay dating and hookup app announced it has entered into an agreement with Tiga Acquisition Corp. (TAC), a special purpose acquisition company. The two companies have agreed to merge under the name Grindr, Inc. in a deal that has valued the app at $2.1 billion.

Target Pulls ‘Silence = Death’ T-Shirt After ACT UP NY Calls Store Out (The Advocate) – Target and a sales partner, the Phluid Project, have at least temporarily ceased selling a T-shirt with the famed ACT UP “Silence = Death” message after complaints from ACT UP New York.

Skittles Go Gray (Again) With Pride Packs Designed by LGBTQ+ Artists (Out) – This year, though, Skittles’ annual Pride packs will also feature colorful art by queer artists, with proceeds going to GLAAD.

09 May 2022

SPARTA announces legislative agenda & re-elects Bree Fram as president (Los Angeles Blade) – SPARTA, the nation’s leading transgender military service  organization, announced its legislative priorities for 2022 on Monday. SPARTA and other advocacy  organizations have long sought the codification of the opportunity to serve in the military  regardless of gender identity or any other category that doesn’t have any bearing on an  individual’s ability to serve.

LGBTQ+ Soldiers Found a Way to Serve in the Military Long Before Public Acceptance was Achieved (SOFREP) – Throughout military history, long before the “LGBTQ+” was even a thing, members of the community were either banned from joining the service or hidden away. Soldiers, especially men, were painted as tough, brave, and everything masculine, and there was no room for anything that was not deemed “honorable.” Regardless, there were LGTBQ soldiers who braved the wars and went to protect their nations even when they were hidden, dismissed, and just plainly discriminated against. Most of them were either forced to hide their true identities or at least not talk about it with policies like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

After Roe: Here’s the GOP Plan Kill to Marriage Equality, LGBTQ Rights (The Advocate) – Barring some highly improbable miracle, marriage equality will probably not exist nationally by 2024 — possibly 2025 at the latest.

An LGBTQ+ Guide to First-Time Homebuying (Out) – A lesbian realtor offers advice to rainbow families looking to achieve the American dream.

Military/Veteran News

12 May 2022

23 things veterans may carry for life (Military Times) – In the back of every veteran’s closet, you’re likely to find some old uniforms, dusty caps, a stack of medical, training, and discharge records… maybe a few ribbons or medals. But these are just a few of the typical things that separated or retired service members keep with them. Other things, they’re stuck with forever.

Army drafting abortion policy in case Roe v. Wade is overturned (Military Times) – Army officials are drafting a policy “to ensure we take care of our soldiers” seeking abortions, in case the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, according to the sergeant major of the Army.

The changing face of the VFW (Military Times) – Your local VFW is no longer the hall that hosted Grampa’s bingo night. Instead, it’s a hub of Post-9/11 and Iraq and Afghanistan veterans supporting the same mission the VFW has supported since its inception in 1899: veteran transition, support, and kinship.

Coast Guard Admiral Becomes First Woman to Lead a US Military Branch (Military.com) – The Senate voted unanimously late Wednesday to confirm Adm. Linda Fagan as the next commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, the first woman ever to lead a military service.

VA study: Screening for thoughts of suicide can identify missed chances to save lives (VAntage Point) – In the United States, one of every 10 adults who dies by suicide is seen in an emergency department within two months before their death. Despite national guidelines for suicide screening, risk assessment and follow-up care, including those from the Joint Commission and Emergency Nurses Association, suicidal thoughts and behavior continue to go undetected in emergency departments, leading to gaps in care.

Greece to extend base access deal with US military (Military Times) – Greece is extending a bilateral military agreement with the United States for five years, with officials from the country’s center-right government arguing that enhanced alliances within NATO will help stabilize the region rattled by Russia’s war in Ukraine and tension in the eastern Mediterranean.

Culture Shift Needed to Combat Patient Safety Failures at VA, Watchdog Says (Military.com) – The murder of seven veterans at a West Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs hospital and thousands of missed diagnoses by a pathologist who was drunk on the job at a Fayetteville, Arkansas, facility are signs that the Veterans Health Administration, or VHA, has significant leadership and cultural problems, according to the VA’s top watchdog.

Study shows two career assessment screenings effective for veterans, civilians (Phys.org) – While many services are in place to help address the physical and mental obstacles, little research has been performed on measures designed to help in the educational and career paths. A new study from the University of Kansas has found two measures designed to help civilian students are also effective for veterans.

11 May 2022

White House Plans to Blunt Medical Debts for Veterans and Home Borrowers (Bloomberg) – Vice President Kamala Harris announced new steps designed to reduce the cost of federal home loans for Americans saddled with medical debt and make it easier for veterans to have health care bills forgiven during an event Monday at the White House.

10 May 2022

Bill would mandate honorable discharge for all troops who refuse COVID vaccine mandate (Military Times) – Defense officials would be required to grant honorable dismissals to nearly all troops who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine and grant waivers to troops with “natural immunity” to the virus under new legislation introduced by Republican senators on Tuesday.

Preventing stroke: Many are at risk and don’t know it (VAntage Point) – Heart disease and stroke are an epidemic in the U.S. Many don’t realize that they are at high risk for heart attack or stroke. The good news is that many of the major risk factors for these problems can be prevented or controlled. Getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked are important first steps to reduce your risk.

Federal Veteran Unemployment Stats ‘Inaccurate,’ New Report Says (Military.com) – With the United States experiencing historically low unemployment rates, along with an equally historic labor shortage, it would be natural to draw the conclusion that veteran unemployment is a thing of the past. The Call of Duty Endowment, the world’s largest private funder of veteran employment, says nothing could be further from the truth.

Study investigates brain connectivity patterns at rest in veterans with chronic pain and trauma (News-Medical.net) – A new study is the first to investigate brain connectivity patterns at rest in veterans with both chronic pain and trauma, finding three unique brain subtypes potentially indicating high, medium, and low susceptibility to pain and trauma symptoms. The findings provide an objective measurement of pain and trauma susceptibility and could pave the way for personalized treatments and new therapies based on neural connectivity patterns.

09 May 2022

Errors in DoD’s new electronic health care records system raise concerns among providers (Military Times) – Information about patients’ health care isn’t always accurate or complete in the Defense Department’s new electronic records system, according to a survey of defense health care providers conducted by the Inspector General’s Office.

Air Force Will End Program That Allowed Some Airmen to Choose Their Next Duty Station (Military.com) – The Air Force’s “base of preference program” will end next month, delivering a blow to career enlisted airmen and their families who were trying to plan where they would be stationed stateside. 

Racial disparities observed in prostate cancer incidence, outcomes among veterans (Healio News) – Black veterans had a nearly twofold higher incidence of both localized prostate cancer and de novo metastatic disease compared with white veterans, according to a nationwide, retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Network Open.

5 Steps to Start You Down the Path to Meaningful Work After the Military (Military.com) – “What I’m really looking for is meaningful work,” one of my veteran clients told me. “When I say this to people, I’ve been told that whatever I do, it will never be as meaningful as the military. I’m OK with that. But how do you find meaningful work after the military?”

Friday, May 6th

Army Pressed to Fix Dilapidated Base Housing by Senators (Military.com) – The Army must put more money and effort into repairing poorly maintained and substandard base housing for military service members and their families, U.S. senators demanded Thursday, amid persistent reports that mold and other issues threaten troops’ health.

This Federal Program Now Makes Many Active-Duty, Vets and Survivors Eligible for Free or Discounted Internet (Military.com) – An updated program from the federal government offers free or discounted internet to many Americans, including many active duty families, veterans and their survivors.

VA supports parents and expecting mothers across America (VAntage Point) – Whether you are a mom, want to be a mom, or are about to become a mom, VA supports you on Mother’s Day and every day. No matter where you are in your journey, we provide health care every step of the way to and through motherhood.

Veterans unemployment under 3% for second consecutive month (Military Times) – Veterans unemployment remained below 3% for the second consecutive month in April, offering more evidence that the American job market is nearing full recovery from the two-year coronavirus pandemic.

Thursday, May 5th

How to check in with your smartphone for some VA appointments (Department of Veterans Affairs) – At some VA health care facilities, you can now check in for appointments with your smartphone. More facilities will offer this option in the future. You can still always check in for an appointment with a staff member at all facilities. Read this page to learn how to check in with your smartphone when this option is available.

🌈Millions sought from CA, SF for sexual health services (Bay Area Reporter) – With budget negotiations set to heat up in the coming weeks, advocates for sexual health services are seeking millions of dollars from California and San Francisco officials this spring. Their demands come as both the city and state are currently flush with cash as the economy continues to improve as the COVID pandemic ebbs.

🌈Judge who overturned California’s Prop. 8 blasts draft Roe v. Wade opinion: ‘It makes the justices look like politicians’ (San Francisco Chronicle) – Retired Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has harsh words to describe the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade: “It’s just not a very impressive piece of work.”

🌈The Repeal of Roe v. Wade Is a Direct Threat to Gay Marriage (Vice) – Marriage equality plaintiff Jim Obergefell tells VICE that LGBTQ rights could be next if the Supreme Court repeals Roe.

Thousands of Smartphones Purchased by VA Went Unused (Military.com) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs wasted nearly $2 million when most of the smartphones bought during the pandemic for homeless veterans went unused, according to an inspector general’s report.

Air Force to end preferred basing for enlisted as it changes how airmen find new jobs (militarytimes.com) (Military Times) – The Air Force this month will suspend its 4-year-old “base of preference” program for airmen who are on at least their second enlistment contract, saying it fails to send most applicants to the installations they want.

🌈USDA Promotes Program Access, Combats Discrimination Against LGBTQI+ Community (USDA/Food & Nutrition Service) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced today that it will interpret the prohibition on discrimination based on sex found in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program (7 USC § 2011 et seq.), to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA and FNS are issuing this interpretation to help ensure its programs are open, accessible and help promote food and nutrition security, regardless of demographics.

🌈How the reversal of Roe v. Wade could impact the transgender community (NPR) – Activists and supporters of the LGBTQ community say any decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could have significant consequences on vulnerable groups if privacy-related rights like access to contraception or gender-affirming care are threatened.

After Roe: 9 legal experts on what rights the Supreme Court might target next (Vox) – Does Justice Alito’s draft opinion hint at future rollbacks on marriage equality, birth control, and other issues?

VBA expands automated claims system (The American Legion) – The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) has expanded its pilot program focusing on automated processes using certain medical data. The program being run by the newly created Office of Automated Benefit Delivery was launched in December 2021 and is designed to eliminate unnecessary examinations, streamline workflows and reduce manual components of the claims process.

Predicting Homelessness Among U.S. Army Soldiers No Longer on Active Duty (American Journal of Preventive Medicine) – The ability to predict and prevent homelessness has been an elusive goal. The purpose of this study was to develop a prediction model that identified U.S. Army soldiers at high risk of becoming homeless after transitioning to civilian life based on information available before the time of this transition.

Wednesday, May 4th

🌈‘It’s already having an impact’: LGBTQ people fear abortion rights reversal (NBC News) – Some LGBTQ people fear the reversal of abortion rights protections would have far-reaching impacts — both on their health and other rights such as marriage equality.

VA hired 59,000 employees this year, but still struggles with workforce shortages (Federal News Network) – The Department of Veterans Affairs hired thousands of health care employees through a streamlined hiring process since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency, however, is now limited to using the ongoing hiring authority for a small subsection of its hires, and is calling on Congress to make some of these hiring flexibilities permanent.

COVID-19 and Veteran’s welfare: Veterans Resource Center moves into new facility (Sac City Express) – City College’s Veterans Resource Center moved into a new facility on campus this semester, allowing it to expand its services and better help student veterans.

🌈Roe leak stokes fears that LGBTQ rights are now at heightened risk (Washington Blade) – Fears that same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ rights could be on the chopping block are at a new high after a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that would explicitly overturn precedent in Roe. v. Wade, although the degree of perceived danger differs among legal observers.

VA Disqualifies Vets from Caregiver Program Despite Promised Pause amid Review (Military.com) – VA officials announced March 22 that the department would halt dismissals from the program until they could review changes made to eligibility criteria in 2020. The pause resulted from an outcry over what appeared to be an inordinate number of discharges from the initiative, known as the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

Audit Finds Waste in VA Purchases of Mobile Devices for Veterans (FEDweek) – An inspector general audit has identified waste in a program designed to provide homeless veterans with mobile devices they could use for telehealth – as many of the devices sat for months in storage as their data plans expired.

VA’s caregiver review nearly complete, but still no timeline for future program changes (Military Times) – Veterans Affairs officials said they are nearly finished with their review of families receiving caregiver stipends, but still do not have any timeline for when new eligibility criteria for the program will be unveiled.

VA Ramps Up Osseintegration Program for Amputee Veterans (Amplitude Magazine) – In January 2022, the VA began offering OI to veterans with above-knee amputations. Osseointegration surgery and rehabilitation care is now available at several VA Amputation System of Care specialty locations across the country.

Join VA and the White House today for a cancer cabinet community conversation (VAntage Point) – Today, VA health leaders, along with representatives from private and public health care organizations, will host a Cancer Cabinet Community Conversation as part of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative. VA, one of several government organizations to hold a virtual roundtable that day, will focus on the agency’s lung precision oncology program to advance cancer treatment.

Appeals: Informal conference offers clarity, feedback in higher-level decision reviews (VAntage Point) – Veterans seeking a higher-level review (HLR) of a benefits claim decision have a powerful tool to communicate directly with a higher-level reviewer. It’s called an informal conference.

Tuesday, May 3rd

New CalVet System Streamlines Prescriptions (Techwire) – The California Department of Veterans Affairs’ e-Prescribe functionality is the first module of a larger modernization initiative set for a phased rollout later this year.

Draft Roe v. Wade ruling sends panic through LGBTQ community: ‘They’re coming for us next’ (San Francisco Chronicle) – Following the likely overturn of Roe v. Wade, many question whether rulings protecting same-sex marriage and consensual sexual acts could be targeted next.

What Overturning Roe v. Wade Could Mean for Marriage Equality (The Advocate) – Legal principles tie the two together, causing LGBTQ+ rights advocates to question if same-sex marriage might be an eventual target if Roe v. Wade is indeed overturned.

As a veteran that went to Ukraine, here’s what I saw (Military Times) – As someone who dreamt of growing up to be a journalist and spent their childhood watching their parents deploy to Africa and the Middle East and work with special forces at home in Virginia, being a war correspondent has been my goal for as long as I can remember. Adding to that, I also served for five years in the Marine Corps as a Middle Eastern Cryptologic Linguist, deploying once with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2017.

Vets at schools with unusual calendars may be losing out on GI Bill money (Military Times) – Students attending classes at colleges with non-traditional semesters could lose out on thousands of dollars in GI Bill payments without fixes to how Veterans Affairs processes their education benefits, the department’s inspector general cautioned on Tuesday.

🌈As high court signals Roe v. Wade reversal, states eye same-sex marriage protections (NBC News) – Some state lawmakers have taken steps in recent weeks to protect same-sex marriage in the event the high court reverses its landmark 2015 decision.

🌈’Human Rights Crisis’: Legal Experts Say Bombshell SCOTUS Abortion Opinion Will Be ‘Foundation for Overturning LGBT Rights’ (The New Civil Rights Movement) – Legal experts are responding to the bombshell news from Politico, which reports the U.S. Supreme Court has voted to fully overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that found a right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution. The Court has not released its opinion.

🌈LGBTQ Victory Fund Statement on Roe v. Wade (Victory Fund) – Today LGBTQ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released a statement on Roe v. Wade.

‘Space Force’ Is Now Official to the VA, but Not Everyone Is on the Same Page (Military.com) – The Department of Veterans Affairs has officially recognized the Space Force as a branch of the military, nearly 2½ years after the service was established.

What you should know about advance care planning (VAntage Point) – Different people want different things when it comes to their health care. Advance care planning ensures that your loved ones and your health care team know what’s important to you and what your preferences are for treatment now and treatment in the future.

Navy Federal Releases Spotlight on VA Loans Report, Unveiling Misconceptions and Myths About VA Loans (Business Wire) – Navy Federal Credit Union today released its first-ever Spotlight on VA Loans report —a comprehensive look at servicemembers’ understanding of, and opinions about, VA home loans and how they use them. VA loans are designed to make the dream of homeownership more attainable for military families, but the report revealed widespread misconceptions about these mortgages, which often prevent servicemembers and their families from taking full advantage of their hard-earned benefits.

VA secretary urges EHR rollout to continue, but ‘very concerned’ about system outages (Federal News Network) – The Department of Veterans Affairs’ new Electronic Health Record (EHR) is now running at a third location, although lawmakers remain concerned about future rollouts.

Funeral Homes Are Looking to Veterans to Care for the Living (Military.com) – As the old saying goes, the only two constants in life are death and taxes. The government will ensure taxes keep being collected, no doubt. Caring for the dead, however, is left to the private sector — a sector that is running out of skilled workers.

Monday, May 2nd

Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows (Politico) – The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court and obtained by POLITICO.

VA Downplays Its Role at the Border Amid Backlash, But Defends Potential Deployments (Government Executive) – The Veterans Affairs Department has no immediate plans to send personnel to the U.S.-Mexico border in anticipation of an uptick of migrants arriving there, though it is defending its potential role amid backlash from Republican lawmakers. 

Veterans eligible for discounts on travel, hotel rates (VAntage Point) – From May 23-30, 2022, AmericanForcesTravel.com is offering discounted travel bookings, where eligible Veterans will find deep discounts on hotel rates in honor of Memorial Day.

🌈Amazon will offer $4,000 per year to US employees who need to travel to different states for medical procedures, including abortion and transgender care (Yahoo! News) – Amazon will cover up to $4,000 per year in travel costs for US employees seeking non-life threatening medical treatments, including elective abortion.

🌈America’s top-ranked trans official condemns attacks on LGBTQ+ youth (The Guardian) – Rachel Levine says LGBTQ Americans killing themselves ‘at a rate that should shock our conscience’

Non-white Americans at higher risk for dementia, veterans study shows (Seniors Matter) – The new study, published earlier this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed the risk of dementia was almost twice as high for black and Hispanic veterans as it was for white veterans. The study tracked the outcomes of almost two million Americans receiving care from the Veterans Health Administration over a decade, with about 13% of the study’s participants diagnosed with dementia.

🌈Study shows gender-affirming care improves mental health (ABC 7 Denver) – According to a report from the CDC, more than one-third of transgender high school students attempt suicide in a given year. A separate report published on JAMA Network shows that gender-affirming care improves mental health outcomes in transgender and nonbinary youths. Multiple doctors are trying to educate the public to fully understand what gender-affirming care is, and its impact on mental wellness.

VA looks to fill key medical posts, starting with the department’s top health care job (Military Times) – The Department of Veterans Affairs may finally fill its top health care post later this month, which could lead to hiring even more doctors and nurses in the months to come.

For Military Appreciation Month, Eyemart Express Extends Special Offers to Military Personnel, Veterans, and Their Families (PR Newswire) – May is Military Appreciation Month, a time to honor veterans, uniformed service members, and their families. To mark the occasion, national optical retailer Eyemart Express is offering exclusive 20% discounts to the men and women who serve our country. The offer extends to veterans and military families.

VA’s National Oncology Program: Providing Equitable Cancer Care for Veterans (VAntage Point) – What is health equity, and what does equitable cancer care mean for Veterans at VA?

How Veterans Can Get Free Truck Driver Training and Commercial Driving License (Military.com) – Hiring Our Heroes, an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is stepping in to help put U.S. military veterans in those trucks with its Drive for 500 campaign.

🌈Anti-LGBTQ laws inspire many LGBTQ people to seek public office (NPR) – The avalanche of anti-LGBTQ laws before state legislatures this year is inspiring LGBTQ candidates to seek office. This is even happening in smaller cities and rural parts of the U.S.