Journalist · 26 articles indexed on LGBTQ News
Joe Reberkenny is a bylined journalist whose reporting appears on LGBTQ News. We aggregate Joe Reberkenny's work from trusted local sources with full attribution, linking back to the original publisher. To learn more about how we select and review stories, see our editorial standards.
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The U.S. military will begin testing and treating service members with hormone therapy despite banning similar medical care for transgender service members. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesd
Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has died, and what he has left behind is a power vacuum for his U.S. Senate seat — and within the Republican Party. The South Carolina senator had been a m
Just over two and a half miles from President Donald Trump's primary residence lies one of Florida's most reliably Democratic congressional districts. There, a 27-year-old progressive is mounting a ca
Andrew Gillum, the former Democratic nominee for governor of Florida and former mayor of Tallahassee, was arrested on drug possession charges in Alabama last week. Police in Daphne, Ala., said they pu
As President Donald Trump's second administration has pushed the federal government further to the right on issues ranging from immigration to LGBTQ rights, a different political movement has been gai
While the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in West Virginia v. B.P.J. continues to dominate headlines about transgender rights, three recent federal court cases produced significant rulings that limited
The Supreme Court's decision Tuesday to uphold state laws barring transgender girls from competing on girls' school sports teams represents a setback for transgender rights, but attorneys who argued t
Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the Trump-Vance administration to take urgent action to defend LGBTQ people across the globe, includi
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws that ban transgender athletes from school sports teams that correspond with their gender identity. The justices in January heard oral arguments in t
While many eyes are on the U.S. Supreme Court awaiting the verdicts in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, another court case involving transgender rights is unfolding less than a mile away a
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday recounted being separated from his children following an anonymous police report later determined to be false. The openly gay former mayor of S
Friday marks 11 years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Constitution protects same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges. Despite that major win for LGBTQ people nationwide, the case may be on sha
A judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted a request from multiple transgender people for a temporary restraining order, blocking the disclosure of plaintiff
President Donald Trump is refusing to sign a new bipartisan housing bill unless his SAVE Act is approved by the legislative branch. The bill being prevented from being enacted into law is the "21st Ce
A new study reveals that LGBTQ candidates running for public office are seeing an unprecedented amount of harassment and threats as President Trump and his far-right MAGA supporters continue to strip
As states across the country grapple with a rapidly changing federal landscape under President Donald Trump, governors have increasingly become the first line of defense — or enforcement — on issues r
The Barack Obama Presidential Center held media previews on Thursday ahead of its official Juneteenth opening, marking the debut of the first presidential center dedicated to the 44th and only Black U
Editor’s note: This is part of the “Queering America 250” LGBTQ history magazine published by the Washington Blade. The glossy magazine is free and available across the D.C. region during Pride. You c
Pride began as an uprising against a political system that told LGBTQ people they did not belong. More than 50 years later, after what many believed was a lasting cultural shift toward acceptance, tha
Todd Gloria has had a whirlwind two decades as a public servant. Beginning with his successful 2008 San Diego City Council election, followed up by his second successful campaign in 2012 — this time a
California voters selected its two front runners for the state's open governor seat following the second election of Gavin Newsom. Last week former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier B
For nearly four decades, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been one of the most influential champions of LGBTQ rights in American politics. The former U.S. House of Representatives spe
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping. The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Belief
U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who represents Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, is facing backlash from LGBTQ advocates and fellow Republicans after a social media post declared that "homosexua
A panel of federal appeals court judges ruled that President Donald Trump’s policy banning transgender troops likely violates their constitutional rights. The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of
The Federal Communications Commission is considering a new rating system that would require a warning label to appear before any television content that includes LGBTQ characters. On April 22, the FCC
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Drama alert! Leo season (July 22–August 22) is coming in hot with a surge of creative energy — and some cosmic curveballs. As the Sun’s home sign, Leo knows how to command a room. Doechii, Charli XCX, and Madonna are all Leos, to put this fixed fire sign’s star power into perspective. No matter your
Fox News anchor Jesse Watters cheerily joked on Thursday that a new Department of Defense policy could lead to more sexual assaults of women. Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new plan to test the testosterone levels of all men in the military over the age of 30, no matte
In 1996, after the AIDS epidemic had cast its shadow over the gay community for a decade and a half, the breakthrough finally came: the success of antiretroviral medication turned a fatal disease into a manageable and survivable condition — and suddenly, “queer joy” began to feel like a possibility
After Wired published a story earlier this month alleging that Madison Square Garden kept an ongoing database that categorized nearly 100 celebrities as “LGBTQIA,” the venue is now suing the tech outlet as well as the writer, Noah Shachtman, who led the reporting. Madison Square Garden Entertainment
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at comingsandgoings@washblade.com. Congra
Police officers in Asheville, North Carolina, shot and killed a man who was reportedly firing a gun outside a local gay dive bar early Wednesday morning. In a July 15 press release, the Asheville Police Department said officers responded to a report of a person discharging a firearm in the parking l
Last week, the outlet Wired published an extensive expose on Madison Square Garden’s management titled Madison Square Garden Kept a List of Gay Celebrities. Now, MSG Entertainment is suing Wired, claiming that the website was being misleading. "Wired combed the dark web, obtained data stolen from MS
Being a man in today’s world is a dangerous and sad proposition. There’s a loneliness epidemic to contend with, looksmaxxers are telling you that your jaw is off-kilter by a few degrees from being an isosceles triangle, and now, apparently, eating certain foods in public is a problem? At least, that
Whitman Walker Health Center will host a legal services workshop on Tuesday, July 21 at 3 p.m. virtually and in-person at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center. Attorneys from WWH will give an overview of the free legal services they offer and discuss recent challenges. WWH meets clients where they are to
Friday, July 17 Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite. Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be a
This story was produced in partnership with hankycode, an LGBTQ+ history publication. Records of trans people date as far back as 218 C.E., with the Roman Empress Elagabalus. And all through U.S. history, transgender figures can be found: sometimes in the shadows, sometimes at the forefront of socia
Creating a “safe space” looks different for everyone. It might mean being physically protected from harm or knowing that you can share your emotions openly and without judgment. But for LGBTQ+ families, there’s usually one shared quality: knowing you’re free to celebrate your loved ones while expres
Veteran news anchor David Shuster isn't worried about the possibility of the Trump administration doctoring the Epstein Files to remove any incriminating references to the president. Now that both chambers of Congress have passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Shuster wrote on social media that
During a House Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) spoke out for trans people while slamming Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for massive hypocrisy in his views on hormone therapy. "Let me be very clear: Trans people have always and will always exist," Jayapal said in
Heartstopper Forever puts the concerns of the transgender community into global perspective in the final chapter of what has largely been an idealistic story.On the page, creator Alice Oseman built Elle an aspirational world. We first meet her shortly after transitioning, as she tries to figure out
A judge on Thursday sentenced 20-year-old Brooklyn man Dmitriy Popov for first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime after he stabbed 28-year-old gay dancer O’Shae Sibley to death in a gas station on July 29, 2023. Popov committed the crime when he was 17 and claimed self-defense, but he was tried as
Out lesbian U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for allegedly having "weird, intense, homoerotic feelings towards men while also being incredibly homophobic." In video-recorded comments posted Thursday morning on the X account of the left-leaning media outlet Meid
Disgraced gay former drag queen and Rep. George Santos (R-NY) will appear in the fifth season of Fox's jungle survival reality TV competition Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test alongside 14 other contestants, including gender-fluid and lesbian actress Ruby Rose and former Full House actress Canda
It’s no surprise that sapphics are so into the Professional Women’s Baseball League. The connection between lesbianism and softball feels almost ancient — and baseball? That’s just like baseball except you pitch the ball overhand! (There are other differences, I’m told, but as someone who never plan
Kowtowing to the president in his ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ crusade, Republicans in the House of Representatives for a second year in a row stacked the State Department's annual funding appropriation bill with multiple "poison pills" aimed at gay and trans people. The provisions have been denounced by Dem
A remarkable lawsuit relying on Biblical law was filed last week on behalf of a Louisiana man aggrieved over being “unlawfully fired” for “refusing to lie and use false gender pronouns.” Luke Ash was hired by the East Baton Rouge Parish Library in 2025 as a technician, working alongside librarians t
This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore. A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong. And such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, is, with
A parent known as JD is speaking out about how he and his daughter Winter felt in June when they received a call from Mount Sinai Health System to inform them that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had issued a criminal subpoena demanding his trans daughter's private medical records. JD is just one of
A 47-year-old man in Perth, Australia, named Garath Mouncey pleaded guilty on Tuesday to seven charges related to distributing "indecent" and "obscene" anti-LGBTQ+ flyers in people's letterboxes that accused local queer leaders of pedophilia, human trafficking, and drug dealing, the Star Observer re
The Tennessee home of notoriously unhinged far-right anti-LGBTQ+ pastor Greg Locke was raided recently by federal investigators and local law enforcement. In a statement, the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that deputies helped secure Locke’s home, as well as another location, and that the
This story originally appeared on The Advocate.U.S. Rep. Becca Balint offered a pointed queer critique of President Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new testosterone initiative Thursday, comparing the Pentagon chief’s cultivated “rugged macho man” image to the hypermasculine figures d
The hosts of MS Now's Morning Joe could not contain their laughter while asking Democratic Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico about Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's (R) claim that Talarico is not manly enough to represent the state. Hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough erupted in hysterics as they dis
I like good-troublemakers. As a graduate student in history at the University of Missouri at St. Louis more than thirty years ago, I wrote a paper about Rev. Carol Cureton and the outsized organizing impact of her LGBTQ+-affirming church on St. Louis's LGBTQ+ community. Encouraged by my professor an
Elliot Page walked the red carpet for the New York City premiere of The Odyssey earlier this week — much to the chagrin of right-wing transphobes sitting at home behind their keyboards. Unsurprisingly, Page enjoyed a seemingly lovely evening with his girlfriend, Overcompensating star Julia Shiplett,
Elliot Page walked the red carpet for the New York City premiere of The Odyssey earlier this week — much to the chagrin of right-wing transphobes sitting at home behind their keyboards. Unsurprisingly, Page enjoyed a seemingly lovely evening with his girlfriend, Overcompensating star Julia Shiplett,
This story originally appeared on Out.The world of cricket may be unrecognizable to Americans, but the rule against cheating applies on both this continent and in Australia. This week, that's the big story down under: The brief, same-sex marriage of a sports champion and her socialite wife, reported
A former superintendent was awarded $265,000 last month after suing his former school district, alleging he was fired in 2023 for being gay, according to a settlement agreement obtained by government transparency advocate John Paff. John Berenato sued New Jersey's Manchester Township School District
While you might associate looksmaxxing with heterosexuality and incel culture, it turns out that the patron saint of the perfect face movement is actually an out gay actor: Matt Bomer. In a brand-new feature for The Hollywood Reporter, the trade magazine ranked a bevy of leading Hollywood men based
The Trump administration filed an amicus brief on Monday in support of an insurance company seeking to deny coverage for gender-affirming surgery for minors. A U.S. District Court ruled against Premera Blue Cross last year after two minors sued the company for denying them top surgery coverage. Judg
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) vetoed a bill on Wednesday that would have banned trans people from using restrooms, joining sports teams, or being housed in prisons according to their sex assigned at birth. "This bill is nearly identical to the Senate bill I vetoed last month, as well as two ot
Out former CNN anchor Don Lemon says he's "serious" about a possible presidential bid and claimed that"people keep asking me if I'm running for president" in a podcast episode that was released yesterday. "I don't know, I might, I'm serious," he said on the Can't Be Censored podcast. "I might becaus
Sometimes, within the course of human events, it becomes clear that we are living in nothing but a game of Mad Libs. Names, some of which ring a bell and some of which we thought maybe we’d never hear from again, resurface in strange combinations. Long-ago figures are plucked out of obscurity, as if
Uncloseted Media published this article on July 16. By SPENCER MACNAUGHTON | On Sunday, the office of Lindsey Graham reported that the Republican senator and Trump ally from South Carolina died “from a brief and sudden illness.” The office said that the preliminary cause of death was a rupture of hi
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) pressed Jay Clayton, Donald Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, a Cabinet-level position that would put him in charge of U.S. intelligence, on a simple question: Who won the 2020 presidential election? At his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Clayton, like
People often ask where I am from and I never know how to answer. The factual answer is straightforward enough: I was born in D.C., spent parts of my childhood in Pakistan and India, lived in Moscow, and later in Jordan before eventually settling in the United States. The emotional answer is much mor
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