Continued homophobic and transphobic policy—stoked by Christofascist groups and politicians, and reinforced by the lack of substantial resistance from Democrats and other political leaders—has continued to increase harm and violence against LGBTQIA+ communities. Restricted access to gender-affirming healthcare and basic resources, like housing, disproportionately affect Black and brown LGBTQIA+ people. These too are forms of state-sanctioned violence, much like conservative attacks on safe havens and Drag Queen Story Hours.
This year, Prism covered the intersections of LGBTQIA+ issues and racial justice, bodily autonomy, workers’ rights, immigration, and more. This reading list is a good place to start if you’re looking for often-overlooked context. More than that, these reported pieces will give you insight into the strategies that bloomed within queer and trans communities to address the needs of LGBTQIA+ communities that go unmet by existing social and political structures.
Hate crimes are rising as anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation passes and misinformation thrives by Alexandra Martinez
Safe spaces are critical in helping LGBTQIA+ people thrive, but those spaces have recently been under attack
Gender-affirming care bans are cruel and hypocritical violations of children’s autonomy by Sherronda J. Brown
Bans on gender-affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth and forced medical interventions for intersex children are driven by the same Christofascist aim to eliminate queerness
The violence queer and trans people face is state-sanctioned by Lara Witt
The Colorado Springs shooting targeting an LGBTQIA+ club on Trans Day of Remembrance was stoked by the white supremacist, Christian-fascist right
Florida adds more homophobic censorship laws to ‘Don’t Say Gay’ suite of bills by Alexandra Martinez
The Florida Board of Education voted unanimously on new guidelines designed to threaten school districts and teachers that support LGBTQIA+-inclusive policies
You can’t keep good queens down by Tina Vasquez
Drag Queen Story Hour has come under attack during Pride month, but performers say they’re putting “glitter first, fear second”
‘I’ told you so: When health care policy started catching up to intersex justice by Amanda Saenz
Intersex advocates have seen a surge of support of their calls for compassionate and humane medical care. Health care institutions are finally starting to take note
Queer, non-nuclear, non-conformist: Family is what we make it by Sherronda J. Brown
Reimagining family means challenging how white colonial ideals have been used to define family throughout the colonized world
Without social safety nets, mutual aid is a lifeline for Black trans communities by Mondo Vaden
Mutual aid pages led by Black and brown trans people have helped redistribute vital resources to those who need it most
Supportive families help gender euphoria bloom by Janelle Salanga and Grace Deng
Whether biological or chosen, family is a crucial component of what helps affirm trans and genderqueer people of color
Book bans are the result of white fear of a changing world by George M. Johnson
Book bans are about more than removing books. They’re an attempt to remove our existence, and we must fight against them fervently
Organizers say ending trans detention is a matter of life and death by Tina Vasquez
The trans immigrant leaders behind the #NoPrideInDetention campaign have one focus: freeing trans migrants from ICE custody
