Federal agency shifts stance on transgender discrimination complaints, but hurdles remain

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/federal-agency-shifts-stance-on-transgender-discrimination-complaints-but-hurdles-remain/ar-AA1IFmyX?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=907ccd4d546c4841aef8579c92ed7d6b&ei=6

Story by CLAIRE SAVAGE (15 July 2025)

The federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination will allow some complaints filed by transgender workers to move forward, shifting course from earlier guidance that indefinitely stalled all such cases, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.

The email was sent earlier this month to leaders of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with the subject line "Hot Topics," in which Thomas Colclough, director of the agency's Office of Field Programs, announced that if new transgender worker complaints involve "hiring, discharge or promotion, you are clear to continue processing these charges."

But even those cases will still be subject to higher scrutiny than other types of workplace discrimination cases, requiring approval from President Donald Trump's appointed acting agency head Andrea Lucas, who has said that one of her priorities would be "defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights."

Colclough acknowledged in his July 1 email that the EEOC will consider transgender discrimination complaints that "fall squarely under" the Supreme Court's ruling, such as cases involving hiring, firing and promotion. The email backtracked on an earlier policy, communicated verbally, that de-prioritized all transgender cases.

Florida is already trying to use the "Skrmetti" decision to take away trans healthcare from adults

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/florida-is-already-trying-to-use-the-skrmetti-decision-to-take-away-trans-healthcare-from-adults/ar-AA1IFhGd?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=5ab056c04fff40e680373dca8e631354&ei=137

Story by John Russell (15 July 2025)

Nearly a month after the Supreme Court's devastating anti-trans ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti, lawyers for Florida are citing the decision in their efforts to get the state's ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care reinstated.

Writing for the court's conservative majority in Skrmetti, Chief Justice John Roberts said that a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors does not discriminate on the basis of sex or on the basis of transgender status in violation of the Equal Protection Clause because the law only makes distinctions based on a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

In their July 11 filing, lawyers for Florida argued that because the state's ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care treatments is based on medical diagnoses, it also does not violate the Equal Protection Clause, and thus Hinkle's decision should be struck down and the ban reinstated.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the case, meanwhile, argued that the Skrmetti decision was "fairly limited in its scope and breadth," according to CBS News. The Supreme Court's decision, they wrote in their brief, "hinges on the Court's finding that Tennessee's law classified based on age and medical condition." Florida's ban, meanwhile, "irrationally" targets transgender Medicaid beneficiaries of all ages.

Florida's Medicaid coverage exclusions, they wrote, "discriminate based on transgender status and therefore sex in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment."

Trans girl housed in male unit has jaw broken at D.C. juvenile detention center

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trans-girl-housed-in-male-unit-has-jaw-broken-at-d-c-juvenile-detention-center/ar-AA1IFo7A?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=5ab056c04fff40e680373dca8e631354&ei=137

Story by Joe Kottke (15 July 2025)

A transgender girl housed in a male unit of a Washington, D.C., juvenile detention center has been hospitalized after sustaining multiple injuries, including a broken jaw, officials said.

NBC Washington reported that five teens have been charged with violations related to the assault of the trans resident.

Department officials said the residents involved have been separated and reassigned to different housing units.

According to a copy of the department's LGBTQ policy, which was shared with NBC News, a classification committee decides on housing assignments for all youth residents and takes into consideration information shared during intake and a health care provider's recommendation "that may indicate a need for a particular housing situation."

"All classification and housing decisions at DYRS secure facilities shall be based on youths' individualized needs, prioritizing the youth's physical and emotional well-being," the policy reads.

Transgender and intersex youth "shall not automatically be housed" according to their sex assigned at birth, according to the policy.

The policy, which has been in place since 2012, also states that staff should take the resident's perception of where they will be "most secure" into account. All residents also have the opportunity to request a re-examination of placement "if they feel unsafe in their current housing."

'A seismic change': Trump wants LGBTQ+ material axed from sex ed

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-seismic-change-trump-wants-lgbtq-material-axed-from-sex-ed/ar-AA1IEMY7?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=5ab056c04fff40e680373dca8e631354&ei=137

Story by Erin Mansfield (15 July 2025)

The Trump administration is telling organizations working to prevent teen pregnancy that they must stop teaching content that doesn't align with the administration's views on transgender people and parental rights or they'll risk losing their federal funding.

Seventy-three organizations – including local health departments, community groups and universities – receive a portion of the $101 million budget for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program each year. The groups serve more than 300,000 youth, mostly in school settings.

The Department of Health and Human Services policy, announced in a July 1 memo to grantees, bans grant-funded programs from teaching about sex that is not heterosexual vaginal intercourse. It also bans "the eroticization of birth control methods" and bans any content on creating more pleasurable sexual experiences.

The policy goes on to prohibit any discussion of youth experiencing gender dysphoria or expressing transgender identities.

"The statute does not require, support, or authorize teaching minors about (ideological) content, including the radical ideological claim that boys can identify as girls and vice versa," the memo to grant recipients says. "Programs must be aimed at reducing teen pregnancy, not instructing in such ideological content."

I had some really good French fries with my Peruvian take out yesterday.

Quote from: Cassi1 on Yesterday at 03:29:58 PMThank you for letting me be here. 💜

Hi Cassione,

Welcome to Susan's Place! 💓


~ Lilis 🌷

Quote from: Northern Star Girl on Yesterday at 09:58:58 PMLate June and early July long days and very short nights where I live way up North.

Midnight where I live at this time of year never gets really dark, just twilight
or dusk as the Sun barely dips below the horizon and then rises again an hour or so later.
       

                In the winter time in December the opposite is true.

I love this, Danielle. 😍

The scenery and interior look absolutely beautiful, so cozy and comforting.

Hmm, is that the fireplace on the right side of the photo?

I imagine that's where you do your journaling on those cold winter nights?

~ Lilis 🌷

Long test drive to the pub last night, called at my mates and we drove up together. Just as I went to change down gear to drive into car park the clutch pedal lost pressure ,had to call the breakdown. Just finished nearly eating my burger and he turned up, turned out he was local to me and knew my kids at school. He tried the clutch and it started working (I had already tried this) so after saying good byes to the folks in hot rod club he followed me home. It worked fine, looks like a new cylinder then as it was the 30+ year old one from the Omega.

Lovely my dear.

I used to get that phone thing while doing annual tests on customers cars, they would be in reception and their phone still linked to car so I could hear the call!!