On Saturday, during Berlin’s Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s biggest LGBTQ+ Pride events, a 21-year-old religious extremist drove a van into the crowd and then used a knife to stab multiple people. One person died and 29 others were injured.

When I saw this news on social media, I sincerely felt scared, and not because one more bigot used his religion to justify violence against people like me. It has, unfortunately, happened too often. Despite being happy to see the overwhelming support for the queer community and the condemnation of terrorism, I was terrified by the wave of Islamophobic and anti-immigrant statements that came even from “left” and “progressive” people who should know better, who generally support refugees, who know that all people are equal, and that you shouldn’t treat others as less human because of their religion.

In 2020, a Russian MP threatened to start a criminal case against me after I interviewed Muslim women about why they called themselves feminists and wrote about my own relationship with feminism and Islam, mentioning that I was following events in Syria and had read some academic books on the Islamic State. Surprisingly, the MP claimed that I was recruiting women to ISIS by using feminist ideas, which, of course, was absolutely ridiculous for many reasons, including the fact that I was an openly nonbinary transgender person. But some media outlets and queer people online, including those who called themselves progressive, refused to support me or believed the lie. This is what an anti-extremist witchhunt looks like. If I had been in Russia, and not in the UK, I probably would have been in prison.

It is extremely important to oppose extremism by knowing the actual facts about terrorist groups and not starting a moral panic.

Here are four examples of what media coverage and queer people online often misunderstand about the events in Berlin, and why it’s important.

1. Islam is not the problem

Despite a common misunderstanding, this terrorist act wasn’t even about Islam. 

Islam, just like Christianity and Judaism, has a variety of views on LGBTQ+ rights, from affirmative to condemning. I think everyone in the American Bible Belt has met Christian fundamentalists who praised violence against LGBTQ+ people or used violence against their own queer children, so it is a universal problem. But the thing is Abdul Ballout was not an ordinary conservative Muslim. He was known for wanting to join ISIS. It is an apocalyptic cult that teaches that we are living in the last era, so they are trying to re-create the caliphate that they believe should be restored before Doomsday. 

Most of the Muslim people I know, including conservative Salafi Muslims, see the group as dangerous criminals, or don’t see the group as a Muslim group at all. The vast majority of ISIS victims are not Western people or queer people, but cisgender heterosexual Muslims in the Middle East and Africa who the group considers to be infidels. ISIS is widely condemned by Muslim communities and scholars, and blaming Islam for the actions of cult members is like blaming Christianity and all Christians — or even all Christian fundamentalists — for the actions of Branch Davidians members or for the mass murder-suicide committed by members of the People’s Temple.

2. Refugees are not the problem — and Germany is not a safe haven for refugees

First, the attacker was a German citizen. But the media continue to blame migration. Germany is seen as a safe haven for refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S., the UK and beyond. But the time when Germany was safe is long gone. For refugees from Russia between 2022 and 2025 alone, around 90 percent of refugee claims have been refused by Germany, including the claims of political prisoners. The situation for non-White Muslim refugees is even worse, especially in regions such as Bavaria.

I have personal experience working with some refugees in Germany who are also Muslim. The way the migration service mistreated them is beyond anything I saw while working with refugees and being a refugee in the UK. I saw cases in Germany where an asylum seeker’s family was threatened back home because of social media posts the asylum seeker had made, or where a person was detained and sent back to their homeland despite having a history of persecution and torture by the government. Very often, when a person is taken by the immigration service, their loved ones don’t know where they are. Queer refugees also report homophobic and transphobic attitudes in the system.

The narrative that Germany is too generous to refugees was created by the far right and has little to do with reality, and it harms actual refugees, including queer refugees, by silencing their voices.

3. There is no collective responsibility

It is an extremely old and dangerous idea.

Just as all gay men shouldn’t be blamed for what the American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer did just because he was gay; we shouldn’t blame all Muslims, all people of Middle Eastern origin, or any other large demographic group for the crime of one terrorist. Even if the terrorist had been a refugee and a Muslim, it shouldn’t actually matter, because under the law in any modern non-authoritarian country, an individual shouldn’t be held responsible for the actions of their social group.

After all, when a white, Christian, cisgender, heterosexual, neurotypical person commits a crime, it is almost always seen as an individual’s fault. Why is it different for marginalized groups? The idea of collective responsibility harmed the gay community for decades and is harming the trans community right now, for example after Charlie Kirk’s murder. The best thing we can do is stop this narrative, because it will be used against us.

The only reason I explained about ISIS and the refugee experience in Germany is to show how far from reality the popular accusations are.

4. Witch-hunts and scapegoating serve the far-right agenda and are extremely anti-queer

From my own experience, as an openly trans person speaking against Islamophobia, sexism and queerphobia who was accused of supporting the cult that kills queer people, promotes the sexual exploitation of women and sees the majority of Muslims as legitimate targets, I can say for sure that moral panic can go wild.

People who remember the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, or even the attacks on Muslim communities after Sept. 11, should know this.

Now even queer people are attacking refugees and Muslim communities online while the German government is introducing more draconian measures against those groups.

ILGA-Europe, the biggest LGBTQ+ organization in Europe, made a statement warning against any attempt to weaponize the attack. 

“This tragedy must not be used to fuel hatred against migrants, foreigners or Muslim communities. We reject any attempt by anti-democratic actors to exploit what happened to divide communities, scapegoat minorities or turn one group against another,” Chaber, the group’s executive director, said. “LGBTI people must not be instrumentalized to spread hatred against others, nor should the existence of racism, Islamophobia or anti-migrant hatred be used to minimize the threats faced by LGBTI people. The rights, safety, and dignity of all people must be defended.”

People who live at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities — LGBTQ+ Muslims, LGBTQ+ people of color and LGBTQ+ refugees — will probably suffer the most from this moral panic. Moreover, these are the same political groups that target refugees, Muslim communities and queer people. If this hatred isn’t stopped now, everyone is potentially at risk. 

Condemning terrorism is important, but it is no less important to stop creating more victims.

Between caring for his newborn and running the popular GYM Bar WEHO sports bar, Jonathan Cottrell is also juggling his campaign for West Hollywood’s city council in the upcoming November general election.

Cottrell, who has lived in WeHo for over a decade, is running on a campaign of increasing government trust, neighborhood safety, and more affordable housing.

He is running because he believes in a government that “listens, acts with compassion, and works for all people,” according to his campaign website. 

“I’m a software engineer by trade, so I love big ideas, taking big swings, and I think that pragmatic approach that I bring to my work can carry over,” Cottrell, 36, said. 

Cottrell has been involved with the city in various ways over the years. Since March of last year, he’s been on the public facilities, recreation and infrastructure commission. Alongside being a business owner, he’s also a renter and helps run his HOA.

“Through the course of all those things, I’ve gotten to know the people that work at City Hall, the staffers, the council, the agencies that are county-run like fire, sheriff’s office, the health department,” Cottrell, 36, said. “All that together, I’ve gotten to see what works great about our city, but also what we can improve.”

He hopes to improve the city’s government trust by increasing transparency and accountability policies and building them up.

“If we have easy-to-use, transparent technology, that doesn’t require you to drill down through PDFs and download things and search and find dates of disclosures that exist within our government,” Cottrell said. “If we have systems where things aren’t buried in endless files, that’ll increase government trust.”

He hopes to increase this “lack of ease of accessibility” that bars people from knowing where to go to find city government information.

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Prioritizing community safety is another big goal of Cottrell’s.

“As a bar owner and restaurant owner, I see it every day, all the issues we have,” Cottrell said.

Some issues he’s seen include street fights, an increase in the unhoused population, and recent issues like the waterline burst that led to a large sinkhole. He said issues like these “affect the whole community.”

If voted in, he’d like to focus on recruitment and retention of West Hollywood’s law enforcement, which he says will improve safety of the neighborhood.

He’d like to increase the number of deputies in the city and “find a path to increase public safety and better night shifts that are permanent.”

“I’d like us to increase our investment in public safety, but in a way that actually increases being safe and feeling safe,” he added. “We need to beef up the budget but also use those dollars wisely and make sure that they are actually providing safety on our blocks that we can feel.”

In 2022, West Hollywood voted to cut the sheriff budget, replacing four deputies with unarmed security ambassadors.

Since then, the budget has continued to increase sheriff and protective services (one category) and public safety budgets. In 2022, these two groups’ costs were around $22 million. By fiscal year 2028, the projected budget for public safety and sheriff and protective services is just shy of $40 million, according to WeHo’s two-year city operating budget.

WeHo’s serious crimes dropped more than 13% in the first half of 2026, according to WeHo Times, despite increases in auto thefts, shoplifting, and burglaries in residential areas.

“$40 million may seem like we’re spending a lot, but it is a smaller budget than some of our neighbors,” Cottrell said. “Increasing it will allow more presence on the street and, for example, a permanent night shift that is there at the high-risk times, at high-risk places.”

Housing and affordability in WeHo remain a common topic for many city council campaigns.

For Cottrell, a focus for long-term fixes for the city’s housing shortage is imperative.

“We need to continue to have a great housing policy here, a decade of rent control policies that were implemented by people that founded the city,” Cottrell said.

He thinks there’s a way to increase economic opportunity while also addressing the affordability crisis that impacts renters, homeowners, small businesses, and workers.

“I really believe we have to be bold about where we’re going, but also very thoughtful and strategic about how we get there,” he said. 

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He hopes that with a city full of creatives and the city’s reputation for being unique, some solutions can be found.

“In addition to our rent control and rent stabilization ordinances, I think we can get more creative about looking at creative zoning, such as light industrial residential,” Cottrell said. “I picture, say, an artist who lives and works in their studio, but also part of the space can be a gallery.”

“There’s actually a lot of spaces in West Hollywood that could be mixed-use, where we need to figure out what is the path to make that viable,” he added. “We have to continue being very thoughtful in our approach, but we can also shoot for the stars.”

Investing in more creative housing options will lead to vibrancy and growth in economic opportunity for WeHo, he said.

“Let’s invest in our people, invest in our community, and be innovative,” Cottrell said. “I have a lot of excitement for the future. There’s a lot of scary stuff happening federally, but let’s build a gold standard for the country for what a city can be in the modern world.”

For more information, head to Cottrell4Weho.com.

Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key will be on assignment in Amsterdam from Aug. 5-10.

Queen Máxima on July 25 participated in this year’s World Pride opening ceremony in Amsterdam.

The Dutch monarch joined Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema at the ceremony that took place in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark. Several drag queens also participated in the event.

🌈 Koningin Máxima opent WoldPride 2026 in het Vondelpark in Amsterdam. Het evenement vraagt wereldwijdaandacht voor de zichtbaarheid, emancipatie en mensenrechten van de LGBTQIA+-gemeenschap. Koningin Máxima bezoekt de Sport Pride en de Youth Pride.⁰https://t.co/eXdHJYQX2R pic.twitter.com/wNkjvaTkHY

— Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) July 25, 2026

World Pride will take place in Amsterdam through Aug. 10.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who is openly gay, is scheduled to open the World Pride Human Rights Conference on Aug. 5.

Halsema on Sunday told reporters that authorities will bolster security measures “where necessary” in response to the terrorist attack at Berlin’s annual Pride march the day before that left one person dead and 29 others injured.

At least one person died on Saturday when a van drove into a crowd at Berlin’s annual Pride march.

The incident took place shortly before 10 p.m. local time (1 p.m. PT) in Tiergarten park.

Authorities say a 21-year-old German man of Lebanese descent who tried to join the Islamic State drove the van into the crowd. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt on Sunday told reporters during a press conference the suspect also attacked people with a machete.

Dobrint said the suspect injured 29 people — with some of them in critical condition.

He and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed authorities are investigating the attack as “an Islamist terrorist attack.” Officers killed the suspect in the Berlin suburb of Spandau on Sunday after he reportedly charged at them with a knife.

A memorial service and rally took place in Berlin on Sunday.

Hundreds of thousands of people participate in the annual Christopher Street Day parade — which is one of Europe’s largest Pride events — that winds its way through Berlin.

Tiergarten is near June 17 Street and the Brandenberg Gate where post-parade parties and concerts take place. Authorities cancelled the remaining Pride events after Saturday’s attack.

“We strongly condemn the fatal attack at the Christopher Street Day celebration in Berlin,” said the U.S. Embassy in Germany on Sunday. “This attack undermines the fundamental values of freedom and respect which underpin open and democratic societies. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the first responders.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are among those who condemned the attack.

“It is difficult for us to put into words the shock and grief of the queer community,” said Alva Träbert of Federation Queer Diversity, a German LGBTQ+ and intersex rights group known by the acronym LSVD, on Sunday in a statement. “Our solidarity goes out to all the victims and their families. The community’s grief now needs space to be expressed. This act, which according to the current state of the investigation was motivated by Islamist extremism, is to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. We owe our thanks and deep respect to the entire Berlin Pride team for their organization and to the emergency services for their swift assistance.”

Träbert added the attack “was not directed at a party, but at a political demonstration for the human rights of LGBTQIA+ people” and was “also an attack on democratic values themselves.” Träbert also urged the German government in the wake of the attack to do more to protect LGBTQ+ and intersex Germans.

Dutch authorities to ‘take extra measures’ during World Pride in Amsterdam

The attack took place on the same day that World Pride began in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema on Sunday said authorities will “take extra measures … where necessary” during the event and the city’s annual Pride, which will take place on Aug. 1. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who is gay, on social media said he expressed his condolences to Merz.

“The horrific act of aggression last night at the Pride in Berlin is a direct attack on our free and tolerant society,” said Jetten on X.

“My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones,” he added. “In these difficult times, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our German neighbors.”

When you receive ads for, say, a new car, it’s because the internet has tracked you through thoughts, speech and searches so that you’re dogged with messages until you buy or they give up.

But sometimes things still come up serendipitously and at random. And you wonder, is the universe trying to tell me something?

And so it is with the word and color pink. This week, I met with the Desert Cancer Foundation, the organizers behind “Paint El Paseo Pink” to help them with their annual Fall event. (We’ll be hosting a team this year.)

But then, on my way back from the meeting, I was hearing a song by Pink! on the radio. And today a headline caught my attention that the saxophonist behind “The Pink Panther” theme from the 1963 film had passed. Pink was clearly on my mind.

Pink is a color that we in the LGBTQ+ community co-opted from Nazi Germany. During the 1930s and 1940s, prisoners in concentration camps were categorized using color-coded inverted cloth triangles on their uniforms. Prisoners wearing the pink triangle were singled out for particularly brutal treatment by camp guards and isolated from other inmates.

In the early 1970s, West German gay rights groups began rediscovering this history—bolstered by the publication of The Men with the Pink Triangle, a survivor’s memoir. ACT UP intentionally reclaimed the badge of shame, transforming the inverted pink triangle paired with the iconic slogan “SILENCE = DEATH”.

But were it not for a shortage of pink fabric, our six color rainbow flag would have been an eight stripe flag including hot pink. Gilbert Baker created the flag in 1978 at the urging of Harvey Milk and others to serve as a symbol for our movement in its early days.

According to Wikipedia, “Gilbert Baker created a nine-stripe version of the flag in March 2017, adding a lavender stripe to symbolize diversity. Baker created the flag in response to the 2016 election of Donald Trump.”

So there’s your history lesson on how pink became “our” color, courtesy of paying attention to what the universe was telling me. Now, you pay attention today. Pink will likely enter your field of vision and psyche too. (P.S. The shirt in my photo above is also pink!)

Brad Fuhr, your K-Gay Desert Guide

Here’s what’s up ahead in sunny Palm Springs!

Taste of Summer / Rancho Mirage

Taste of Summer / Rancho Mirage launched this week, running through August 16, kicking off a multi‑week celebration of local dining. The annual program invites residents and visitors to explore specials, cool treats, and flavorful experiences while supporting restaurants and local nonprofits. Wristbands unlock exclusive offers throughout the season. More info

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Living Out Art Walk 6

Living Out Art Walk 6 transforms Living Out Palm Springs into an expansive three-story art gallery on Sunday, July 26 from 4–6 pm. This art party features more than 450 original works representing over 75 LGBTQ+ artists from the Coachella Valley. Guests are invited to browse the art while enjoying music from the amazing Gennine Francis, who performs starting at 5 pm. Gertie’s Salon and Bar will be open with a cash bar to enhance the festive atmosphere. This free celebration offers a unique opportunity to see local art, have a cocktail, and enjoy entertainment in a vibrant community setting. More info

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One Night of Queen

Experience a world‑class rock ’n’ roll spectacle as Gary Mullen & The Works bring One Night of Queen to the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre. This high‑energy tribute concert, happening Sunday, July 26 at 7 pm, channels the electrifying showmanship, theatrical flair, and iconic sound of Queen. With Gary Mullen paying tribute to Freddie Mercury’s iconic vocals and the band recreating the magic of a true stadium‑style performance, audiences can expect to be dancing in the aisles as they relive the unforgettable energy of one of rock’s greatest acts. More info

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The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz at Palm Canyon Theatre runs July 17–26, inviting audiences to follow the yellow brick road into a world of magic, adventure, and timeless songs. This cherished musical brings Dorothy and her unforgettable companions to the stage in a story filled with heart, imagination, and classic moments like “Over the Rainbow.” Perfect for dreamers of all ages. More info

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Wanderlust Food Truck Festival at Sunrise Park

The Wanderlust Food Truck Festival brings more than 20 rotating food trucks and vendors to Sunrise Park on Saturday, July 25 from 5–10 pm. Guests can enjoy gourmet street food, sweet treats, and globally inspired flavors in a relaxed outdoor setting designed for gathering and connection. The event is designed to be more than a quick stop—it’s a place to stay, relax, and connect, with lawn games, open seating, and a community‑driven atmosphere. More info

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Bill Burr Live

Bill Burr performs at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa on Friday, July 24 at 8 pm, delivering his Grammy‑nominated signature blend of sharp cultural commentary and fearless humor. Known for specials like Paper Tiger and Live at Red Rocks, Burr’s stand‑up is celebrated for its honesty, precision, and ability to provoke laughter while challenging perspectives. More info

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Dance Ranch / Country Dance Saturdays

Dance Ranch’s Country Dance Saturdays takes place at Step by Step Dance Studio on Saturday, July 25 from 7–9:30 pm, offering two‑step, waltz, swing, line dancing, and more for the LGBTQ+ community and friends. The evening includes a 7 pm lesson followed by social dancing, welcoming participants of all levels. This week features Beginner Waltz with Lise Baadh, adding a fresh skill‑building opportunity. More info

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Desert Sound Sessions

Desert Sound Sessions offers a restorative wellness experience at the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel on Sunday, July 26 from 9:45–11 am. The session begins with tea and community gathering before transitioning into a guided sound journey featuring crystal singing bowls. This immersive experience invites you to slow down, soften, and reconnect through a meditative sound journey, encouraging balance, clarity, and deep relaxation inspired by the desert’s spaciousness. More info

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ALSO THIS WEEK

• A Queer Arcana: Art, Magic, and Spirit • Palm Springs Art Museum presents this intergenerational exhibition exploring how magic, spirituality, and esoteric knowledge shape queer culture, open Thursday–Sunday. The show highlights alternative spiritual paths within LGBTQ+ struggles for liberation.
• Jesus Sepulveda Comedy Show • Performers Jesus Sepulveda and a full lineup of all-star comedians visit the Cascade Lounge for a night of stand-up on Friday from 7–8:30 pm. Known for his HBO specials, Jesus shares hilarious takes on family and culture.
• Teacher’s Gone Bad Comedy Show • Seasoned educators trade lesson plans for punchlines on Friday from 8–9:30 pm. This nationally touring comedy act at Spotlight 29 Casino features stories about school politics and burnout.
• Political Implications of Humanism: Wealth Inequality • Participants gather at The LGBTQ Center of the Desert on Saturday from 11 am–12:30 pm to discuss how wealth inequality impacts the flourishing of humanity. The discussion explores potential solutions, such as a wealth tax or democratic socialism.
• Country Nation • Enjoy modern country music hits in a high-energy tribute concert at Desert Hot Springs City Hall on Saturday from 6–10 pm. The block party features food trucks and artisan vendors.
• The Beaver Trilogy • Queer Eyes Cinema Club hosts a free screening of director Trent Harris’s film at Festival Theaters on Saturday from 4–6:30 pm. Following the movie, film scholar Esther Schwartz moderates a live Q&A with Harris.
• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me • Celebrate David Lynch’s masterpiece at Festival Theaters on Saturday from 7–9:15 pm. This one-night event features appearances from original cast members and a live drag performance by Anita Rose, Bellamy Cain, Fey Sunshine Ghost, and Alexander Coutour.

For all things Palm Springs, head to GayDesertGuide.com.

Uncloseted Media published this article on July 23.

By SPENCER MACNAUGHTON | Earlier this month, hundreds of people filled a conference room in San Diego. These included Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Assistant Secretary of Health Admiral Brian Christine, OpenAI executive Dean Ball, and the attorneys general of West Virginia and Idaho.

They all came together for Alliance Defending Freedom’s 2026 Summit. The Christian legal group, also a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-LGBTQ+ hate group, described the event as a “gathering of leaders from many different spheres, including law, public policy, media, business, education, and Christian leadership.”

Johnson — who has said that “homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural and … society cannot give its stamp of approval to such a dangerous lifestyle” — was a featured speaker.

In his speech, he seemed unconcerned with the separation of church and state: “It is so encouraging to Kelly and I to be among friends and fellow warriors for this cause and people who understand that God is not done with America yet. … ADF’s on the very tip of the spear, front line, defending those very truths and keeping the door open for the spread of the Gospel. This is our moment. I’m telling you, I believe the next season … is going to be the greatest season of this ministry since its inception.”

That ministry is one that has espoused aggressively anti-LGBTQ+ views since its inception in the early 1990s. It was co-founded by a group of evangelical men, including Alan Sears, who co-authored a book called “The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today.” Since then, ADF has opposed gay marriage and supported bans on gay sex and on gender-affirming care for minors.

After helping overturn Roe v. Wade, ADF lawyers have led key victories at the Supreme Court. In 303 Creative v. Elenis, SCOTUS ruled that a website designer could refuse service to gay weddings. And this year they convinced the Court to overturn Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy and to uphold state laws in West Virginia and Idaho that ban trans girls from playing on girls’ sports teams.

At the summit, ADF President Kristen Waggoner, who has promoted conversion therapists and consistently misgenders trans people, interviewed these states’ attorneys general.

“The lawyers who were defending women’s sports were among the best I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey told Waggoner.

Similar to Johnson, Trump’s Assistant Secretary of Health Christine showed his commitment to governing based on conservative Christianity. He gave a Bible-thumping speech against gender transition and trans healthcare, saying that it “contradicts … the deeper moral order that is woven into creation itself. For Genesis 1:27 informs us that God created man in his own image. … Male and female” He also said the “complementary relationship between man and woman is divine” and advocated for youth with gender dysphoria to receive care from a pastor.

All of these remarks from politicians made me think of the interview I published earlier this week with Pete Hegseth’s pastor, Doug Wilson. He wants a Christian theocracy in America and told me that: both the perpetrator and the victim should be disciplined in some cases of marital rape; that transgender people are “sad;” that execution is justifiable for certain homosexual acts; and that gay sex should be illegal.

The ADF Summit is glossy and polished. And while its messaging may be less explicit than Pastor Wilson’s, the track record of the organizations shows they have the exact same desires. They’re just deeply strategic in what they say and when and how they say it.

I believe the political power players who attended this year’s summit know this. They know they are endorsing an organization whose members have essentially called for the illegalization of most — if not all ‚ forms of queer behavior and presentation.

In the last few years, these perspectives have become increasingly embedded in the highest rooms of the federal government and they have been effective in stripping away LGBTQ+ rights. Wilson, who just installed a full-time pastor in Washington to lead services, says there are 10 to 20 government officials who align with his church’s ideology.

It is vital for Americans to keep their eyes wide open to the ultimate goal of groups like ADF: to create a United States that leaves LGBTQ+ people without rights and that pushes us back in the closet.

The 2026 International AIDS Conference will take place next week in Rio de Janeiro.

Francisco Ruiz, the former director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, and UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima are among those scheduled to speak at the conference that will take place in the Brazilian city from July 26-31. Other scheduled speakers include Spanish Health Secretary Javier Padilla, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, South African Deputy Health Minister Mathume Joseph “Joe” Phaahla, and Alexus D’Marco of the United Caribbean Trans Network.

The International AIDS Society-organized AIDS 2026’s theme is “Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.”

AIDS 2026 will take place against the backdrop of U.S. funding cuts that have significantly impacted the global HIV/AIDS fight.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly after the Trump-Vance administration took office issued a waiver that allowed PEPFAR and other “life-saving humanitarian assistance” programs to continue to operate during a freeze on nearly all U.S. foreign aid spending. HIV/AIDS service providers around the world with whom the Los Angeles Blade has spoken say PEPFAR cuts and the loss of funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, which officially closed on July 1, 2025, has severely impacted their work.

The International AIDS Society in a press release it issued on Tuesday noted PEPFAR “has saved more than 26 million lives” since President George W. Bush implemented it in 2003, “and changed the trajectory of the HIV pandemic.”

“PEPFAR was a success under the first Trump administration, with major progress toward the 95-95-95 goals,” it said.

The UNAIDS’s 95-95-95 goals are 95 percent of people with HIV knowing their status, 95 percent of people with HIV having access to antiretroviral therapy, and 95 percent of those receiving ART having suppressed viral loads by 2030.

“Since the start of the second Trump administration, however, it has undergone major disruptions,” added the International AIDS Society.

Eswatini is among the African countries that have received doses of lenacapavir, a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug that users inject twice a year, through PEPFAR since the Trump-Vance administration took office.

The White House last month announced it will end PEPFAR funding for South Africa.

President Ronald Reagan in 1985 implemented the global gag rule, also known as the “Mexico City” policy, that banned U.S. foreign aid for groups that support abortion and/or offer abortion-related services. The Trump-Vance administration earlier this year expanded the prohibition to include groups that promote “gender ideology” and support gender-affirming care and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

The International AIDS Society in its press release notes 52 percent of “all implementing partners had at least once terminated award,” while 77 percent of them “had been asked to restrict their work to comply with an additional U.S. policy.” The International AIDS Society notes 1,010 public health facilities, 325 “access points” and 126 “drop-in centers” around the world have closed because of U.S. funding cuts.

“Science is moving fast, giving us more powerful HIV prevention and treatment tools. But these advances cannot save lives if they never reach the people who need them,” said International AIDS Society President Beatriz Grinsztejn, who co-chairs AIDS 2026 and is the director of Rio de Janeiro’s Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infection Diseases’ HIV/AIDS Clinical Research Unit. “That requires robust, stable financing and steadfast political commitment.”

Florida may elect two Black gay Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives this year—and one of them is in one of the most complicated races in the nation, due to the state’s redistricting.

In addition to Shevrin Jones in Florida’s 24^th Congressional District, Elijah Manley is seeking a seat from the state’s 20^th Congressional District. It’s a majority minority, plurality-Black, heavily LGBTQ+ and heavily Democratic district in the southeastern part of the state. The district is centered on Broward County and includes several areas with high concentrations of same-sex couples, including Fort Lauderdale’s Victoria Park neighborhood and suburbs such as Wilton Manors and Oakland Park.

But because of redistricting by the state’s Republican-led government, a longtime Democratic congresswoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is running in the 20^th District instead of the 22^nd, where she lives (members of the House don’t have to live in the district they represent, just the state). Wasserman Schultz currently represents the 25^th District, but changes to the map put her in the 22^nd District, which is Republican-leaning, hence her decision to run in the 20th. The 20^th District has long been represented by a Black Democrat, and that has led to criticism of Wasserman Schultz’s decision to run there, as she is white. Redistricting is threatening Black representation in several states, plus Florida’s redistricting reduced the number of safe Democratic congressional districts from eight to four.

Also, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned the 20^th District seat this year, is running to reclaim it. She resigned after her fellow representatives found her guilty of ethics violations, and she faces criminal charges of stealing federal disaster relief funds and directing them to her 2021 congressional campaign. She has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.

Into this mix comes Manley, along with two other Black candidates: Dale V.C. Holness, a former Broward County mayor, and Luther Campbell, a.k.a. Uncle Luke, from the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew. The Democratic primary will be held August 18, and given the makeup of the district, the winner will most likely go on to beat the Republican nominee in November.

“We need fresh ideas, a new generation of leadership, not just career politicians,” Manley, a 27-year-old middle school history teacher, told LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters. That doesn’t mean pushing out all older elected officials, but the nation would benefit by putting younger people with bold stances into the mix, he said.

“I think people are tired of the same old thing,” he said. “They want people who are going to fight back.”

He became deeply concerned about the future of the U.S., especially its young people, after the 2024 election, he said. He thought the Democratic leadership wasn’t meeting the moment, and that inspired his congressional run.

But Manley had run for office before. When he was just 19, he ran for the Broward County School Board, and later he ran for the Florida House of Representatives. He didn’t win either time, but he’s glad to have had the experience. Also, in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, he became active in the March for Our Lives movement for gun control.

He says his combination of lived experience and his positions on the issues make him the best candidate in the race. His family lost everything in the financial crisis of 2008, and they were homeless for a time. He’s confronted racism and homophobia. “I understand discrimination,” he said. “I’ve experienced it firsthand.” He’s held working-class jobs and is a survivor of sexual assault.

“I refuse to believe that to serve in government, you have to have this elite profile,” Manley said. “In Congress, we need people who’ve been through some stuff.”

He denounces the Trump administration’s hostility to diversity, equity, and inclusion. That’s played out in the Department of Defense—something that hits close to home for him, as he participated in Navy Junior ROTC in high school—and elsewhere in the federal government.

“All this talk about DEI comes down to they hate progress,” Manley said. To the current administration, being pro-DEI and being “woke”—aware of inequities and willing to fight them—is a bad thing, but certainly not to him, he said. “I’m completely for woke and completely for DEI,” he noted.

The diversity of the U.S., he added, has helped it understand and aid other countries.

Some of that aid has been taken away now, with the destruction of the U.S. Agency for International Development at the hands of onetime Trump ally Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “I have talked to dozens upon dozens of federal workers … I’ve seen the federal government fire them and treat them like garbage,” Manley said. Restoring humanitarian aid would be one of his priorities if he’s elected, he said.

Among Manley’s other priorities are health care reform, including Medicare for all; investment in public education, including universal pre-kindergarten and child care; civil rights measures, including the Equality Act; criminal justice reform; support for Ukraine; a two-state solution in Israel; and abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), replacing it with a more humane immigration policy.

To accomplish this, “we’re going to have to use the power of the purse the same way Republicans do,” Manley said. That includes not voting for budgets that defund health care, housing, and other necessities, he said.

In addition, “we need to be willing to impeach and remove people from office who aren’t following the Constitution,” he said. Among them would be Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, federal judges, and even Supreme Court justices such as Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. He would love to have seen Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem impeached, he said, but Trump fired her before that could happen.

He is for expanding the Supreme Court—nine justices aren’t enough to represent the entire country, he said—and for expanding the number of federal court circuits.

Another priority is the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which has stalled in Congress. It’s named for the late, esteemed congressman and civil rights activist, who was honored over the July 17-19 weekend in a series of events called the Weekend of Action. Manley counts Lewis as one of his heroes. “I miss him every day,” Manley said. “His spirit just blew me away, and it still does.”

While the 20^th District is unlikely to elect a Republican, one of the GOP aspirants recently made headlines with his homophobia. Rod Joseph told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “You cannot be born gay. That’s impossible biologically.” He claimed that people are often turned gay by being sexually abused.

“He’s wrong and ignorant,” Manley said. “I love when Republicans use science to justify their bigotry, and it never works out. It’s not going to work in this district.”

Manley has received some high-profile endorsements. One is from Congressman Ro Khanna of California, who called Manley “the only progressive in this race” and one who “understands this district’s economic struggles firsthand, as an educator who works with its kids and who grew up homeless after his family lost their home in the global financial crisis.”

Other endorsers include the Florida Young Democrats, College Democrats of America, Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida, and Peace Action.

However, Equality PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Equality Caucus—which is made up of LGBTQ+ members and allies—has endorsed Wasserman Schultz. It cited her record of supporting Florida’s working families and “defending fundamental freedoms.” She has consistently had perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard.

But Wasserman Schultz failed to win the endorsement of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus. When the caucus met recently, she received 53 percent of the vote and Manley 40 percent—but it takes a two-thirds majority to get the endorsement.

Earlier in the race, there was talk that some of the Black candidates might drop out so the electorate would coalesce behind one, but that hasn’t happened, and Manley doesn’t think it will. “Everybody has the right to run,” he said.

As the primary approaches, he said, “I feel pretty strong. I feel I’m getting my message out there.”

This is a cross-post from Karen Ocamb’s LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters Substack.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have codified a ban transgender servicemembers in the military.

The bipartisan vote was 212-217.

The NDAA is for the 2027 fiscal year and sets policies for the Defense Department programs and activities and the national security programs of the Department of Energy.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) proposed the amendment on July 21. It stated that all personnel are required to serve in accordance with their biological sex, citing military readiness and discipline.

Human Rights Campaign Senior Director of Government Affairs Jennifer Pike Bailey stated that she is grateful for the bipartisan vote that rejected President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “dangerous and discriminatory policy that has kicked brave transgender servicemembers out of the military and weakened our national security.”

“Everyone who meets the same rigorous standards should be able to serve their country. We should honor that patriotism, particularly in this moment where we are witnessing brave servicemembers making the ultimate sacrifice for our country, instead of ending their careers and politicizing their existence. We’re grateful that a permanent extension of this ban failed, and we will keep fighting to reverse this senseless policy,” Bailey said.

Mark Takano, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, stated that he and his members put in countless hours of work to kill the amendment.

“When Americans know they or their families are going to be targeted by or not supported by the military, that leads them to avoid signing up to serve or staying in the service — making it harder to keep the ranks of the armed services full and our nation safe. My colleagues in the Equality Caucus and I will continue working to prevent these attacks on our servicemembers and their families from becoming law,” Takano said.

According to the Congressional Equality Caucus, two other bills could potentially be passed that would also target the transgender community, both of which were proposed by U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).

The first was a bill that would have prohibited gender-related medical care under TRICARE and to prevent TRICARE from covering certain gender-related medical procedures and treatments, which was approved in a vote of 219-208.

The second was a bill that would have prohibited male participation in female sports at DoDEA schools. DoDEA schools are Department of Defense Dependents Schools, which is a network of primary and secondary schools.

The amendment was approved in a vote of 221-203. 

Victoria Cruz, a veteran of the 1969 Stonewall uprising and unwavering advocate for survivors of violence, died on June 25 from liver cancer at age 79. Fierce, generous, and unyielding, Cruz emerged from Stonewall as a witness to history who would spend more than five decades helping to shape it. She became a fixture of New York LGBTQ+ activism and in time, one of the community’s most beloved elders and mentors.

One of 11 children, Cruz arrived with her family in Red Hook, Brooklyn, from Guánica, Puerto Rico, as a young child. She occasionally quipped that she was “never in the closet” but “in the armoire,” and knew from an early age that she was a girl at a time when there was little language to describe her experience. She studied cosmetology and hairdressing at Metropolitan Vocational High School, before attending Brooklyn College where she earned a theater degree in 1982. She supported herself through beauty work, as a stripper, sex worker, and entertainer in the New York City nightlife scene, giving her first drag performance at the Grapevine in 1973 to a Billie Holiday song.

A regular at the Stonewall Inn, Cruz often arrived in what she described as “full drag and semi-drag.” In a 2025 interview she recounted details of the gay bar on Christopher Street — the lack of plumbing, except for the bathroom, and how she would only drink beer because the ice for mixed drinks was drawn from unsanitary garbage cans where glasses were rinsed.

 “[The cops] used to come in and raid the place, and put the lights on. If you were two men together, you’d look for a lesbian to sit with or talk to.” If you had make-up on, she said, they’d make you wash it off with dirty water from the mop bucket. Officers also did what she called “the Robin Hood.” 

“They used to take the bra straps in the back and pull them, you know, they were very heavy elastic, and let it go so it’ll hurt their back.”

Harassment was routine. But the night of Friday, June 27, 1969, was different. Maybe the cops weren’t given “the little brown bag pay off” or “enough money,” she speculated.

Cruz hadn’t planned to go that night. She had work the next day at a beauty parlor but her boyfriend, Frankie, was a bouncer at Stonewall — and “a cheat.”

“I went and stalked him.” When he asked her to go home, she said, “‘No, I’m going to wait up here, because tonight you’re going home with me.'”

It was close to midnight, and the air was hot and humid, she recalled. A full moon in the sky. Judy Garland had just been buried, and the atmosphere in the Village was solemn — “like the calm before the storm.” Standing near the steps next to the Stonewall, Cruz spotted Sylvia Rivera — who would also become a prominent transgender rights figure — with her friends across the street by Sheridan Square Park.

The paddy wagons came. The bar got raided, yet again. But this time, a rebellion began to simmer.

“And then the crowd started getting a little bit rowdier outside, they started throwing pennies,” Cruz recalled. “They were calling them names, you know, ‘dirty copper.’ ” As cops started loading people into the paddy wagons, she “saw one queen got punched.” She thought it was Miss Major, who later publicly recounted taking a blow to the head and getting knocked unconscious.

Police brought a paddy wagon around and went back inside the bar. “And here comes a brick out of Sheridan Square Park, and it cracked the window, and they closed all the doors as a barricade. We were hearing noise from inside.”

Frankie came out to see whether she was still there. A Canadian in the country illegally, he wanted to leave. Cruz wanted to stay. “That’s serious when they started burning stuff — and then Frankie says, let’s get out of here.” She recalled the violence escalating. “First it was garbage pails. Then they started setting up fire on cars. And I said, no, no, no. That’s too crazy.”

After the raid, Frankie’s boss called him in “to clean out the basement and try to straighten up whatever the cops smashed up over there.” Frankie found one of three drink-price signs, and downstairs, the dog, Rusty, who guarded the liquor (“even though the liquor was watered down”). One of the owners let Frankie take him home. “I was so afraid of dogs, but I gave him food, and then he became my best friend and my protector.”

As for the sign, she kept it in her possession and shared that she hoped to return it to Stonewall along with photos of Frankie and Rusty. “They are part of our original history and they belong there.”

Those nights of chaos and violence are now widely regarded as the birth of the modern gay rights movement. One year later, Cruz joined thousands in what she called “the big first gay pride liberation march.”

“She was definitely one of our mothers in the movement,” says Shelby Chestnut, now executive director of Transgender Law Center, who worked with “Miss Vicky” at the New York City Anti-Violence Project from 2010 to 2017. Cruz first came to AVP seeking support after being sexually assaulted by members of the nursing staff while working at Cobble Hill Health Center. She later volunteered at AVP and remained with the organization for 18 years, eventually coordinating the domestic violence project and serving as a senior counselor advocate.

Shay Huffman, a school social worker and former AVP board member, credits Cruz with being her lifeline while going through intimate partner violence. “By the time I got to AVP, I was 95 pounds,” says Huffman. “I seriously doubted I would survive. I had lost my appetite, wasn’t eating, and felt like my spirit was being sucked out of me.” Huffman says it was important to her that Cruz was a woman of color. “She heard me. She met me where I was. She validated me. She gave me hope and encouragement. She made me believe, ‘Maybe I can survive this.’ It was the first step from becoming a fighter and survivor to really thriving.”

Cruz’s impact extended beyond those she counseled. For many young trans people, the presence of an elder figure like “Miss Vicky” was not something to be taken lightly, Shelby Chestnut says.

“Especially at the time when she got into advocacy, in an ‘official’ way, there was a real expansion of trans justice organizations in New York City, and she would come to all of the events and be this big voice of reason. Even in the face of so much terribleness in the world right now — even at almost 80 years old — she was so clear and articulate: ‘We can’t back down. We’ve been here before. We can’t give people new ground in this moment to take our power and livelihood away.’ She imparted this to a new generation of organizers and leaders in a way that not many people could.”

“She came up in a post-Stonewall reality but also was clear that so much of our conditions didn’t change just because Stonewall birthed our movement.”

Her commitment to justice came to wider public attention with the release of the 2017 documentary “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson.” The film documents her meticulous investigation into the 1992 death of her contemporary, Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman whose death was ruled a suicide despite suspicious circumstances. Cruz’s probing not only helped expose the very real possibility that Johnson was murdered, but also underscored a broader reality: Many trans women of the era were treated as throwaways, their deaths denied the attention and justice they deserved. 

Following Cruz’s death, the documentary’s director, David France, paid tribute to Cruz on Facebook: 

“Throughout her life she embodied pure joy, something she learned from Marsha P. Johnson (whom she called “The Rosa Parks of the gay movement”), and fierce resistance, which she dedicated herself to in her last conversation with Sylvia Rivera on her death bed. She promised Sylvia she would ‘keep the community together.’ And she did that and more. She died on Pride Week, her highest of holy days. There never will be another like her.”

“Victoria loved the beach,” recalls Cruz’s sister, Heyde Cruz, 73. “She called it her sanctuary and as my children and my other siblings’ children were growing, she would take them to the beach and show them how beautiful it was, picking up seashells and other beach objects on the sand and they loved it.”

Indeed, Cruz was a popular presence at the People’s Beach at Jacob Riis Park in Queens, where she was often spotted beneath a sun tent in colorful attire and her signature headband with feathers and cowrie shells. She was considered royalty at this haven for queers near the former Neponsit Hospital — a building that fell into ruin over decades before ultimately being demolished, despite protests by a community that had laid claim to a landmark no one else seemed to want.

In a 2023 conversation, the “Queen of Riis” recounted tales of noble mischief dating back to the earliest days when she had first set foot on the sands in 1963. The facility had been running as a “Home for the Aged” and the gay folks delighted in helping elderly residents sneak out to frolic on the beach.

 “We would tell them when the guys were coming so they could run back to the premises,” she said. She loved hearing the concerts from the facility’s gazebo, where patients would be taken out for lunch. “I loved to go on Sunday mornings because of the church services,” Cruz said. “They played the most wonderful American gospel I ever heard.”

Cruz had hoped that the building might be preserved and turned into a hospice, where “the sounds of the sea, the sun, the gulls [might] make them enjoy life more, especially in their last days.” 

Last December, the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative honored Cruz with a Brick Award for Community Activism. Latina actor, model and trans activist Angelica Christina introduced Cruz, highlighting the elder’s fight for the LGBTQ+ community as “front and center,” noting she had “done so with courage, conviction and compassion.”

“From being a longtime leader at the Anti-Violence Project, to being a part of the documented history at Stonewall, Victoria has supported survivors of anti-LGBTQIA+ violence when few others would,” said Christina, herself a survivor of sexual assault and homelessness. “She fought for safety and accountability and dignity at a time when our stories — especially that of BIPOC trans women — were too often ignored… “

To a standing ovation, Cruz spoke to those who have long admired her spirit, as well as a new generation reaching for the torch amid a renewed political tempest intent on extinguishing the most marginalized:

“We resisted at Stonewall and we can resist now because they’re not going to erase us,” Cruz assured. “Today, it is better to be yourself. Life is much easier when you are you.” 

“And I thank you for this prize, because like Sylvia [Rivera] said — and I promised her — that wherever I would go, I will try to keep the community together because we do have the numbers, and with our allies, we can defeat them anytime …  

“We’re here from the beginning and we’re going to be here ’til the end.”