MONROE, N.C. – Tensions in this small city of 34,551 people, 39 miles southeast of Charlotte, over a local diner and restaurant’s drag shows have escalated from sidewalk protests into dueling lawsuits inside a federal courthouse.

Located within the rapidly growing Charlotte metropolitan area, the East Frank Superette and Kitchen on East Franklin Street in downtown Monroe has been hosting popular all-ages drag brunch shows. Then early 2022, a small group residents began posting negative comments about the events online alleging restaurant was condoning inappropriate and sexualized performances that minors should not be exposed to.

The online argument then morphed into protesters showing up every time an East Frank drag event was held. The restaurant’s co-owners, Robert Huffman and Carley Englander told North Carolina Public Radio they began hosting drag bingo nights and occasional drag brunches in early 2021, when many local businesses were reopening as COVID-19 restrictions eased.

Holding signs that read “Stop Grooming Children,” “This Is Child Abuse” and “Stop Sexualizing Children,” the anti-drag-anti-LGBTQ+ group demonstrating in front of the restaurant, ranging from seven to 25 people included then-candidate and now Monroe city mayor, Robert Burns. Burns won the election by a coin toss after a rare tied vote in 2023.

NCPR reported that in a September Facebook Live video streamed from outside the restaurant Burns said: “They’re exposing our children to this nonsense, and it needs to stop. We need to end what’s going on,” he added, “[…] you are sexualizing our children here in Monroe, and people are waking up to that.”

Huffman and Englander said they were shocked by the vitriol and opposition and didn’t believe the protesters’ arguments had merit.

“We don’t regard (drag) as something that’s lewd or sexual in any regard,” Huffman said. “It never crossed our minds that people would think that or make that argument about it.”

Huffman and Englander also stated that minors were only admitted to drag shows if they were accompanied by a parent or guardian, and the vast majority of people who attended were adults.

“Just a few folks would bring their kids here and there,” Huffman said. “So this whole kerfuffle is over, like, four kids.”

Huffman and Englander said they received online threats, protesters crowded the entrance, held signs in the windows, and took pictures and videos of patrons inside. At City Council meetings, angry anti-LGBTQ+ residents called on the city to shut down the performances entirely.

The battle over the drag shows escalated again when Huffman and Englander used pictures of the seven mainstay anti-drag protestors that regularly demonstrated and used their pictures, some taken from social media accounts, to parody for advertising.

NCPR reported that starting in March 2023, the restaurant began posting a series of advertisements on social media that included images of protesters holding digitally altered signs promoting the restaurant’s drag events and food specials.

According to Queen City News in Charlotte, in December 2023, several of the protesters sued the East Frank Superette and Kitchen after the restaurant pulled photos of them from their social media accounts and altered the images to use in ads for the restaurant’s drag brunches.

In a Federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Union County, North Carolina, residents Michelle Ball, Ted Toms, Sofia Chabot, Amelia Ball, Eliza Ball, Jessica Mullen, and Lisa Metzger claim the restaurant violated a state law banning wrongful appropriation of personal image and North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act by altering the photos to make them look like the protesters supported the events.

Signs that read “Stop Sexualizing Children” and “Stop Grooming Children” were changed to “Risk it on the Brisket … I did, and I loved it!” and “I am unable to mind my own business, and it only helps theirs!”

“It was done in jest, and in a satirical kind of way,” Huffman told NCPR. “Obviously, we don’t need their help selling hamburgers, and pretty much anyone in the community knows that they’re not our supporters. Really, it was just a joke, and they apparently can’t take one.”

“It got under their skin a lot more than we realized,” Huffman added.

In the court filing, Robert Sneed, an attorney for the anti-drag protestors, wrote that Ted Toms reportedly reached out to the restaurant demanding that the images be taken down and the restaurant continued to use unauthorized photos of Toms and others to promote the business and services.

“As a consequence of the Defendant’s outrageous actions and response to Plaintiffs’ rightful concerns and interests, Plaintiffs find it necessary to seek this court’s intervention to curtail Defendant’s unlawful activities and to obtain the legal and equitable remedies to which Plaintiffs are entitled,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges that Huffman and Englander violated Section 43(a)(1)(A) of the Lanham Act, North Carolina’s privacy-based tort of Wrongful Appropriation of Personal Image, and North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Queen City News noted:

[The] Lanham Act: “Any person who, on or in connection with any…services…uses in commerce any…device…or any misdescription of fact, or false or misleading representation of fact, which…is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive as to the…approval of his or her goods, services or commercial activities by another person…shall be liable in a civil action by any person who believes that he or she is or is likely to be damaged by such act.”

Wrongful Appropriation of Personal Image: “This form of tortious activity includes the unauthorized appropriation of a person’s likeness in connection with an advertisement or commercial enterprise, i.e., for the defendant’s commercial advantage.”

Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act: “Constitute an unfair method of competition in or affecting commerce, or are unfair and deceptive acts or practices in and affecting commerce; and cause a likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding as to the sponsorship, approval, or association of East Frank’s business and services with each Plaintiff.”

The lawsuit states that the seven plaintiffs are asking that the Monroe restaurant stop using their images for advertising, take down all altered photos that have been used in the past, a public apology, and monetary remedies among other requests.

Last month, Huffman and Englander countersued the protesters for defamation. In an April 12 filing, the pair are alleging the protesters “routinely and regularly accused East Frank — a restaurant that, from time to time, hosts drag performances — of child abuse, child sexual exploitation, and child grooming.”

Those “knowingly false accusations have damaged East Frank’s reputation, cost East Frank substantial profits, and worst of all, have exposed East Frank, its customers, and the drag performers it hosts, to threats of violence,” according to the countersuit.

Both lawsuits have been filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina & have hearing dates yet to be scheduled.

By Ahmed Jallow | RALEIGH, N.C. – At a town hall meeting in Raleigh on Wednesday night sponsored by the organization Moms for Liberty, national and local leaders of the conservative group blamed unsafe schools, among other reasons, as the cause for North Carolina teachers leaving the profession, rather than low pay.

Roughly 50 people attended the event, which featured the group’s co-founder Tiffany Justice and panelists, including local Moms for Liberty organizers and supporters. The North Carolina Republican Party’s nominee for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Michele Morrow attended the event but did not speak.

Moms for Liberty was founded in Florida in 2021 and gained prominence for its opposition to COVID-19 school closures and mask mandates.

It is now a national organization with chapters in 48 states, including 20 in North Carolina. The group has shifted its focus to curriculum content and calls for limitations on discussions of gender, sexuality, and DEI in schools. The group also calls for the removal of books they believe are inappropriate for certain age groups.

On Wednesday, former Union County Education Board Chair Melissa Merrell was hailed for her resistance to state officials’ efforts aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 in 2021. The school board’s decision in 2021 to do away with quarantines and contact tracing for students exposed to COVID-19 sparked controversy.

Merrell served on the school board from 2014 to 2022.  

Merrell, who is now a Union County commissioner, claimed that new teachers replacing those lost to retirement and other factors are “indoctrinated” and that her county is being targeted. “The ones that are coming in have certainly been indoctrinated in their universities and their internships,” she said. “I truly believe that Union County has a target, that there is an agenda to change Union County. And so, they are moving in in mass droves.”

Mary Summa of the conservative NC Values Coalition credits State Rep. Tricia Cotham’s switch to the Republican Party as a turning point. “She saw the light and became a Republican,” Summa said. “It changed the game for us because we had an agenda that included a Pro-life bill, the Save Women’s sports bill which we tried for several years to get passed.”

Restorative justice practices prioritize making amends over punishment, but Moms of Liberty see this as one of the reasons for the rise in school violence. “What we’ve seen in schools across the United States and in North Carolina are programs and practices like restorative justice, which means kids aren’t being held accountable for their for their actions, there is no consequence for this type of behavior,” said Justice.

She cited a recent incident caught on social media at a Forsyth County high school. A student has been charged with misdemeanor assault and is facing expulsion after allegedly slapping a teacher in the face twice, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

Throughout the discussion, panelists argued that public schools are trying to undermine parental rights and advocate for Critical Race Theory and “gender ideology.” Speakers called for schools to stop working with outside groups, such as educational nonprofits and health organizations.

“Our children are being taught to hate America, to hate the Christian values and the principles of liberty that America was founded upon …” said Abigail Prado, chair of Moms for Liberty’s Union County chapter. “Our children are not being educated. They are being indoctrinated.”

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Reporter Ahmed Jallow covers education as well as politics and elections

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The preceding article was previously published by the NC Newsline and is republished with permission.

NC Newsline is a Raleigh-based nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom dedicated to fearless reporting and hard-hitting commentary that shines a light on injustice, holds public officials accountable, and helps improve the quality of life throughout North Carolina.

We’re part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

DURHAM, N.C. – An bomb threat caused evacuation and closure of the Durham County main library just before 10:35 a.m. on Saturday morning. A spokesperson for the Durham Police Department said in a press release: “An anonymous caller informed the library of the threat. The building has been evacuated as a precaution, and access is limited.”

Durham Police units and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office’s bomb dog searched “the entire building,” according to the news release. The facility was closed for the rest of the day.

At approximately the same time an emailed bomb threat was sent to the CBS TV affiliate WBTV News 3 in Charlotte, located 145 miles southwest of Durham. WBTV reported that the threat mentioned an author, Maya Christina Gonzalez, whose book was scheduled for a “Rainbow Story Time” reading at the Durham County library at noon.

Gonzalez is a 60-year-old queer Chicana artist, illustrator, educator and publisher. She lives and works in San Francisco. The event was sponsored by Rainbow Collective for Change, a non-profit that’s mission is connecting LGBTQ+ families with young children in the Triangle area of North Carolina through events like the library reading program.

Rainbow Collective for Change made a statement in response to the incident. On Facebook, the organization said: “We were not notified by the police or the library that the bomb threat was made explicitly due to our Rainbow Story Time. We learned this through a news article and have since confirmed that a bomb threat was made towards our Rainbow Story Time at the library.”

The group in its statement also noted:

“RCC has been hosting monthly Rainbow Story Times and other events for 2 years now and this is our first experience with a serious threat…We will continue to advocate for LGBTQIA+ and gender-affirming schools and build community spaces where our children can be who they are and celebrate that love makes a family. We – together with RCC families and partner organizations — will not let hate win and will continue advocating for a safe and affirming community that all our children deserve.”

Durham police said the bomb threat remains under investigation and no further information will be released at this time.

By Isabelle Kravis | RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina General Assembly overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes of three anti-transgender bills in a late session Wednesday.

Cooper vetoed House Bill 574, House Bill 808 and Senate Bill 49 on July 5, stating in a press release the measures were “a triple threat of political culture wars using government to invade the rights and responsibilities of parents and doctors, hurting vulnerable children and damaging our state’s reputation and economy … .”

HB 574 bans trans girls and women from playing on girls and women’s middle school, high school and college sports teams. The House of Representatives overrode the veto by a 74-45 margin. The Senate followed suit. 

“Since 2019, there have been only two transgender girls playing sports in the state of North Carolina … these girls are certainly not trying to destroy women’s sports. These girls are just trying to belong,” state Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-49) said.

HB 808 bans all health providers, public or private, in the state from providing gender-affirming care to minors. House lawmakers voted 73-46 to override the governor’s veto. The Senate followed suit by a 27-18 vote margin.

“This may be the most heartbreaking bill in a heartbreaking session,” state Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-13) said. “This bill tells parents how to raise their kids … There have been so many families who have pleaded with us, testified before us, about this bill … The implication is somehow 30 people in this room know better than the families and children who know the pain we’re putting them through …”

SB 49 requires public school staff to tell parents and guardians if a student asks to use a new name or set of pronouns. The Senate overrode the veto by a 27-18 vote margin, followed by a 72-47 House vote. Some teachers are already planning to protest and act against the bill, according to the Associated Press.

“The legislature finally comes back to pass legislation that discriminates … Yet they still won’t pass a budget when teachers, school bus drivers and Medicaid Expansion for thousands of working people getting kicked off their health plans every week are desperately needed,” Cooper said in a press release prior to votes. “These are the wrong priorities, especially when they should be working nights and weekends if necessary to get a budget passed by the end of the month.”

“We need to call this what it is: An all-out attack on queer and transgender youth in North Carolina. The NCGA is going out of its way to blatantly enact the far-Right’s anti-LGBTQ wish list, causing harm and discrimination to young people in every area of life, from school to the doctor’s office to the athletic fields. You would have thought that the NCGA would have learned its lesson from HB2 and the havoc it caused for our state and our communities.”

Allison Scott, Director of Impact & Innovation at the Campaign for Southern Equality, said: 

“We know this is a very difficult time for transgender youth and their families, and for the LGBTQ+ community and our supporters across North Carolina. I also know that no law can stop the transgender community from charting our paths to thriving and living authentically – our community will make sure of that. Right now, help is available: Please reach out to our Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project to better understand your options and how you can continue to access gender-affirming care in neighboring states. We are sending solidarity and love during this relentless time.” 

On Monday, August 21, advocates will come together for a Community Town Hall to discuss the impact of HB808, HB574, and SB49. There, we will share resources that trans youth and their families can access, discuss how to prepare for the implementation of these cruel anti-LGBTQ+ laws, and answer questions.

💔🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 Heart-breaking news out of the #NCGA, which voted to override Gov. Cooper's righteous vetoes of 3 anti-LGBTQ+ bills. We know this is a devastating development for queer and trans youth in NC, and we send love & solidarity to everyone impacted. https://t.co/8Zzhx8JsiC 1/8 pic.twitter.com/p4ZbImcmjS

— Southern Equality (@SouthernEqual) August 16, 2023

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Isabelle Kravis is a senior at American University in Washington, D.C. double majoring in Journalism and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is the managing copy editor at The Eagle, AU’s student newspaper, where she oversees the editing and fact-checking process for all of the paper’s publications.

This summer she is a D.C. reporting fellow at the Washington Blade where she covers D.C.’s LGBTQ+ community and an intern for McClatchy’s publishing center where she edits print stories for over 25 local papers across the country. She is passionate about telling the stories of women and the LGBTQ+ community, and likes to center her reporting work on solutions journalism and community activism. When not in class or working on a story, she can be found crocheting or at a local book store.

MOUNT AIRY, NC. –  The Mount Airy City Schools Board of Education, in this city located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, censured one of its members earlier this month for his anti-LGBTQ+ Facebook post, which the self-proclaimed “Christian” defended as ‘Bible-based.’

Board member Randy Moore on his personal Facebook Page stated that while “as a Christian” he loves those in the LGBTQ+ community he added “but not their doings.” Moore wrote noting that his referencing homosexual behaviors is based on scriptural references from the Christian bible. The school board member added that the position he took on his social media posting was “not personal.”

He also used an image in the post that has been spread among far-right anti-LGBTQ+ groups and individuals depicting a figure in red, white, and blue colors kicking at the midsection of another figure with rainbow-colors which typically symbolize the LGBTQ+ community.

“Even around the throne of God, there is pictured a majestic rainbow — used to communicate the glory of God,” he posted referencing Christian biblical chapter Revelation.

“One day, the rainbow will no longer be misused by sinners to boast in their sin,” he added. “The rainbow will be reserved for the glory of God alone when Christ returns and makes all things new.”

Under was the captioning reading “It’s finally July” which has been construed to mean celebrating the end of LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June which the far-right and so-called family conservatives are vehemently opposed to.

“We acknowledge the dignity and worth of all students and employees, and we find all forms of discrimination and harassment reprehensible”

On July 10, the Mount Airy City Schools Board of Education responded in a statement:

The Mount Airy City Schools Board of Education disavows and disapproves of Mr. Randy Moore’s recent social media posts.

“As a Board, we want to remind the school community one member does not act on behalf of the whole. Our legal duty is to take action together, as a Board. Hopefully, this brings some measure of reassurance to members of our community who are concerned that one member’s biases might impact school district policies and procedures. This is simply not the case.

As a Board, we are committed to creating safe, orderly, caring, and inviting schools – from the boardroom to the classroom, and everywhere in between. We acknowledge the dignity and worth of all students and employees, and we find all forms of discrimination and harassment reprehensible.

As elected officials who serve a public body we encourage free expression of opinion among our members, but we ask for civility and integrity in all public discourse. Board members must model the behavior we expect of students and employees. We believe as a Board that Member Randy Moore fell short of clearly-articulated expectations for members of the City Schools Board of Education, which is why we took the extraordinary step of a public censure.”

Mount Airy, Andy Griffith’s hometown and the inspiration for the setting of The Andy Griffith Show’s Mayberry,  had 23.8% of the people voted Democrat in the last presidential election, while 75.2% voted for the Republican Party supporting former President Trump. The area however tends to take a live and let live credo and Moore’s anti-LGBTQ+ post offended that tenet said a local official, who asked not to be named, to the Blade Sunday.

Moore – a U.S. Army veteran appointed to the board in January 2021 – however doubled down on the position he took. The local paper, the Mount Airy News, reported that Moore says he considers his role as an official of a public body to be respectful — “yet still not be afraid to use rightful speech.”

Moore also told the paper [that] those who support LGBTQ activities sometimes are quite forceful in stating their beliefs.

“Why can’t others?” he said of the Christian community. “They just don’t speak up,” despite being in what Moore considers the majority, which should be able to express itself openly without fear of repercussions.

He believes his overall intentions largely been misconstrued. “If anyone, especially this (school) board or superintendent who call themselves Christian thinks I don’t care or thinks I have a personal negative agenda, they have misunderstood.”

Since the censure was reported in news coverage Moore says he has received positive comments from local citizens for his stance.

“I am immeasurably grateful for the unwavering support against what some are terming ‘minority over silent majority,’” he acknowledged, “to wake up against woke.”

Additional reporting from Tom Joyce, The Mount Airy News

By Isabelle Kravis | RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed three anti-LGBTQ bills on Wednesday. 

The measures would ban gender-affirming care for minors, restrict transgender participation in school sports and limit the ways sexuality and gender are discussed in public schools.

While the vetoes are a roadblock for anti-LGBTQ lawmakers in the state, they have little power as the state’s House and Senate hold veto-proof Republican majorities. 

Cooper, a Democrat, denounced all three bills in a press release as “a triple threat of political culture wars using government to invade the rights and responsibilities of parents and doctors, hurting vulnerable children and damaging our state’s reputation and economy … ”

House Bill 574, titled the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” would ban trans girls and women from playing on girls and women’s middle school, high school and college sports teams. 

“We don’t need politicians inflaming their political culture wars by making broad, uninformed decisions about an extremely small number of vulnerable children that are already handled by a robust system that relies on parents, schools and sports organizations,” Cooper said of the bill. “Republican governors in other states have vetoed similar bills because they hurt their states’ reputation and economy and because they are neither fair nor needed.”

Republican governors — Eric Holcomb of Indiana, Spencer Cox of Utah and Doug Burgum of North Dakota — have previously vetoed bills that would ban trans people from participating in team sports that align with their gender.

Senate Bill 49, or the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” would require public school staff to tell parents if a student asks to use a different name or set of pronouns. Trans and nonbinary students testified to the General Assembly that the bill made them fear of forced outing to unaccepting parents, leading to an exception which would allow schools to withhold information if there is reason to believe it would lead to abuse. The bill would also ban teaching about gender identity and sexuality in kindergarten through fourth grade, with exceptions for student-initiated questions. 

“Parents are the most essential educators for their children and their involvement must be encouraged, but this bill will scare teachers into silence by injecting fear and uncertainty into classrooms,” Cooper said. “This ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill also hampers the important and sometimes lifesaving role of educators as trusted advisers when students have nowhere else to turn. The rights of parents are well established in state law, so instead of burdening schools with their political culture wars, legislators should help them with better teacher pay and more investments in students.”

Some teachers are already planning to protest and act against the bill, according to the Associated Press.

House Bill 808 would ban all health providers, public or private, in North Carolina from providing gender-affirming care to minors. There is currently a Senate bill in committee review that would ban only public health care providers from providing gender-affirming care to minors.

“A doctor’s office is no place for politicians, and North Carolina should continue to let parents and medical professionals make decisions about the best way to offer gender care for their children,” Cooper said. “Ordering doctors to stop following approved medical protocols sets a troubling precedent and is dangerous for vulnerable youth and their mental health. The government should not make itself both the parent and the doctor.”

A federal judge on June 20 struck down Arkansas’ ban on gender-affirming care for minors, which Democrats in North Carolina warned could also happen with HB 808.

Initial vote counts indicate that the governor’s vetoes will likely be overridden, which would add North Carolina to the list of 20 states that have enacted similar anti-LGBTQ laws.

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Isabelle Kravis is a senior at American University in Washington, D.C. double majoring in Journalism and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is the managing copy editor at The Eagle, AU’s student newspaper, where she oversees the editing and fact-checking process for all of the paper’s publications.

This summer she is a D.C. reporting fellow at the Washington Blade where she covers D.C.’s LGBTQ+ community and an intern for McClatchy’s publishing center where she edits print stories for over 25 local papers across the country. She is passionate about telling the stories of women and the LGBTQ+ community, and likes to center her reporting work on solutions journalism and community activism. When not in class or working on a story, she can be found crocheting or at a local book store.

By Isabelle Kravis | RALEIGH, N.C. – In the final days of its legislative session, the Republican-controlled North Carolina General Assembly advanced anti-transgender bills that would ban gender-affirming care for minors at public health facilities and trans participation in school sports.

There are two bills — one in the House of Representatives and one in the state Senate — that would ban gender-affirming care for minors. 

Senate Bill 631 would make it illegal for a public health care facility, such as UNC Health — one of the largest healthcare systems in the state — to provide gender-affirming care to those under 18 years old. The bill would also limit use of state funds for gender-affirming care. 

House Bill 808 would ban all health providers, public or private, in North Carolina from providing gender-affirming care to minors.

“My access to gender-affirming care saved my life,” 15-year-old Rowan Bilodeau testified to legislators. “I want others to have that same opportunity. I’m tired of seeing my brothers and sisters die because they are being denied their rights.”

Bilodeau, who has been undergoing gender-affirming transition care with the support of his parents, was the only member of the public allowed to speak against HB 808.

SB 631 passed both the House and the Senate and is currently back in the Senate for concurrence. HB 808 passed the House and is now being reviewed in Senate committees.

The House has also introduced a bill to limit trans participation in school sports. House Bill 574 would restrict trans women from playing women’s sports at the middle school, high school and college levels.

“At the end of the day, we are going to put children at risk,” Democrat Sydney Batch said during a Senate meeting. “Children are going to kill themselves. They already are. And by passing this bill, we’re going to see a higher rate … I don’t think that putting a target on their backs and putting them in a position where they could lose their lives is worth what this bill is trying to do.”

While it’s expected that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will veto anti-trans bills that come to his desk, Republicans hold veto-proof majorities in both chambers.

Cooper had previously signed into law the repeal of House Bill 2, known as North Carolina’s “bathroom bill.” HB2 mandated that trans people use bathrooms that match the sex printed on their birth certificate. The bill led to multiple boycotts and economic losses for the state, which some estimates put into billions of dollars.

The Human Rights Campaign has unequivocally condemned the passage of SB 631.

“SB 631 is a discriminatory effort by extremist politicians in North Carolina to attack transgender people, particularly youth and the people who support them,” HRC Senior Director for Legal Policy Cathryn Oakley said in a press release. “As these legislators know, gender-affirming care is supported by every single credible medical organization in the United States. It is best practice care that is always delivered in an age appropriate manner in consultation with parents, doctors, and medical experts.” 

HRC has declared 2023 to be the “worst year on record” for anti-LGBTQ legislation, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ bills being introduced in state legislatures across the country. According to the HRC, more than 220 of these bills specifically target the rights of trans people, the “highest number of bills targeting transgender people in a single year to date.”

A federal judge on June 20 stuck down Arkansas’ ban on gender-affirming care for minors, the first of its kind in the nation.

“Rather than protecting children or safeguarding medical ethics, the evidence showed that the prohibited medical care improves the mental health and well-being of patients and that, by prohibiting it, the State undermined the interests it claims to be advancing,” U.S. District James Moody, Jr., wrote in the ruling. 

North Carolina Democrats raised the idea of a ban in the state being subject to similar litigation.

“If we pass this law, it’s going to cause more litigation. We have an indication from federal courts that this is unconstitutional,” Democrat Marcia Morey said. “We are once again interfering in a family and child’s medical decisions.”

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Isabelle Kravis is a senior at American University in Washington, D.C. double majoring in Journalism and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is the managing copy editor at The Eagle, AU’s student newspaper, where she oversees the editing and fact-checking process for all of the paper’s publications.

This summer she is a D.C. reporting fellow at the Washington Blade where she covers D.C.’s LGBTQ+ community and an intern for McClatchy’s publishing center where she edits print stories for over 25 local papers across the country. She is passionate about telling the stories of women and the LGBTQ+ community, and likes to center her reporting work on solutions journalism and community activism. When not in class or working on a story, she can be found crocheting or at a local book store.

RALEIGH – The North Carolina House approved House Bill 808 on Wednesday, a measure that bans gender-affirming healthcare for transgender people under the age of 18. The measure passed in a 74-44 veto-proof vote, with all Republicans in support and two Democrats — Reps. Garland Pierce y and Michael Wray.

The bill, originally filed as an outright ban on all gender-affirming care (including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgery), was substituted in committee yesterday for a ban limited to surgical procedures. The bill follows a dangerous national trend of banning gender affirming health care for transgender youth, defying best practices and recommendations of medical experts.

On the House floor today, an amendment was adopted that prohibits state funding for all transgender-related health procedures for people under 18 – although the language of the bill does not define the term “procedure.” This bill has implications for trans young people whose families are insured by Medicaid or through the NC state employee healthcare plan.

This amendment was passed despite a June 2022 federal court ruling in Kadel v. Folwell finding that North Carolina’s state health plan’s categorical exclusion of transgender-related healthcare is unlawful. The lawsuit was brought by Lambda Legal and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Having made the crossover deadline, the bill now advances to the State Senate. Several other bills targeting LGBTQ+ youth, and specifically transgender young people, have also cleared the crossover deadline and will continue being considered this session.

Allison Scott, Director of Impact & Innovation at the Campaign for Southern Equality, released a statement saying:

“Let me be as clear as possible: this bill is wrong, it is cruel and it is unconstitutional. We will fight this bill with every tool and resource we have. Transgender youth deserve support, love, and access to life-affirming medical care. Medical decisions are private matters for families and trusted doctors – not for politicians who are intruding on our private lives to score political points. To transgender youth reading the news of this political attack, please know that you are loved, you are supported, and an entire community is here to help you access the care and support you need to thrive.”

“Gender-affirming care bans and abortion bans cut off people’ s access to essential healthcare and endanger lives,” Kendra R. Johnson, Executive Director of Equality North Carolina said. “Lawmakers are circumventing democratic processes to fast-track these bans, ignoring the bold opposition expressed by the public and the medical community. Politicians need to stay out of private healthcare decisions and stop trying to enact control over other people’s bodies.”

Earlier this week 630+ medical providers across the state submitted an open letter condemning legislation like HB808 and opposing government overreach in healthcare. They wrote: “As North Carolina health care professionals deeply committed to protecting our patients and preserving the trusting and informed relationship between patient and provider, we adamantly oppose any bans or restrictions on access to and provision of life-saving, gender-affirming care.”

RALEIGH – A proposed bill introduced in North Carolina’s House of Representatives Tuesday would criminalise drag shows that in some cases would be making performances a felony.

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate KRAL reported that House Bill 673 would lump at least some drag performances — what the bill calls “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest” — in with strippers and other adult entertainers in state law.

In addition to the proposed drag show ban, KRAL reported that Republican lawmakers in the legislature have been advancing a number of other bills that critics on the left criticize as anti-LGBTQ, like banning doctors from offering certain types of treatment to transgender children.

Also on Tuesday, a state Senate committee advanced a bill to ban transgender girls from playing girls sports in middle and high school. A GOP sponsor of the bill, Iredell County Sen. Vickie Sawyer, said there are 15 such cases that they’ve heard about statewide. “We made 15 wrong decisions,” she said.

The Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce is holding an emergency meeting on Saturday morning, April 22, telling its membership:

“Our community is under attack, and we must stand united against the slate of hate that has been proposed in the North Carolina General Assembly. We will be gathering together to discuss what’s going on and what we can do about it! In this difficult time, we must protect our people and be in the community. Trans youth, especially Black and Brown trans youth, are facing an onslaught of possible laws targeted at banning their rights to education, sports, and healthcare in North Carolina. Join us this Saturday, April 22nd, at 10:30 am, with brunch and mimosas to get involved now!– *This is a non-partisan event*”

Conservatives nationwide have recently galvanized around criticism of drag shows, with armed militia groups sometimes showing up to performances. Drag brunches are popular at some restaurants. https://t.co/XgoUsUHSmU

— WCNC Charlotte (@wcnc) April 18, 2023

SOUTHERN PINES, Nc. – Law enforcement agencies are investigating a wide-spread power outage after intentional vandalism via gunfire was inflicted on the electrical infrastructure network in Moore County located 40 miles Northwest of Fayetteville Saturday night.

Moore County Sheriff’s deputies questioned a local woman after she posted on social media that she was aware of why the power was out blaming the outages on a drag show that was being held, which had already caused stirred up considerable controversy in Southern Pines.

Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields told media outlets that Duke Energy and other utility companies found evidence of intentional vandalism that had occurred at multiple sites. Fields added that the outages, which began just after 7 p.m. forced 45,000 people to endure freezing temperatures overnight.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper tweeted that he was aware of the outage and the ongoing investigation:

I have spoken with Duke Energy and state law enforcement officials about the power outages in Moore County. They are investigating and working to return electricity to those impacted. The state is providing support as needed. – RC

— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) December 4, 2022

Former U.S. Army Captain Emily Grace Rainey, a far right anti-LGBTQ+ conservative activist had publicly attacked a local theatre that was hosting a drag show posted to her social media accounts:

“The power is out in Moore County and I know why.” She also posted a picture of the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines, which was putting on the sold-out drag show, with the caption “God will not be mocked.”

Rainey had previously posted her stance on the drag show. Last month the theatre was also targeted by the anti-LGBTQ+ Twitter account Libs of TikTok.

Rainey, 30, also posted on Facebook that she was visited by Moore County Sheriff’s investigators: “I welcomed them to my home. Sorry they wasted their time.”

Rainey has an established history of far-right activism including anti-COVID pandemic restrictions and vaccinations activity, had resigned her Army officer’s commission after receiving a career-ending letter of reprimand from command staff at nearby Fort Bragg for her far-right activism, including leading service members to Washington D.C. and attending the Capitol insurrection rally.

According to a CBS News report days after the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021, Rainey, was reported to be assigned to the 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg, according to Maj. Daniel Lessard, a spokesman for 1st Special Forces Command.

Known as PSYOPS, the group uses information and misinformation to shape the emotions, decision-making and actions of American adversaries.

She had led 100 members of Moore County Citizens for Freedom, which describes itself online as a nonpartisan network promoting conservative family values, from North Carolina to Washington to “stand against election fraud” and support Trump.  She claimed that that at no time did she or any members of her group illegally enter the Capitol grounds or building.

Previous to the Capitol insurrection according to CBS News correspondent David Martin, Rainey made headlines back in May of 2020 after she posted a video online of her pulling down caution tape at a playground that was closed under North Carolina’s COVID-19 restrictions.

Police investigators had charged her with injury to personal property over the incident. Detectives told WRAL- NBC News Channel 5 in Raleigh at the time that they let her off with warnings twice before after she tore down the tape closing off the playground before finally arresting her.

In the current power grid vandalism attacks, Rainey has not been named a suspect nor a person of interest and was only questioned about her social media posts by law enforcement.

Sheriff Fields, at a Sunday afternoon press conference called the perpetrators “cowards,” announced a Sunday curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. The curfew is part of a countywide state of emergency proclamation, effective 4 p.m. Sunday. “No group has stepped up to acknowledge or accept that they’re the ones who’ve done it, so I call them cowards,” the Raleigh News & Observer reported the Sheriff told reporters.

Fields said Sunday that state and federal investigators are looking into protesters of a Saturday drag queen show at Sunrise Theater in downtown Southern Pines, but that so far they have not been able to make that connection.

Without naming Rainey, the Sheriff indicated in the press conference that the information she posted online was “false.” He told reporters he ordered his deputies “to go and interview this young lady and have a word of prayer with her, but it turned out to be nothing.”

He also confirmed that the damage was caused by small arms. State and local law enforcement were called in to provide security at substations overnight

Fields added that all available local law enforcement officers are working on the case, assisted by NC State Bureau of Investigation and FBI agents.

The local Southern Pines newspaper, the Pilot, reported:

Six hours after blocking off downtown Southern Pines for the town’s annual holiday parade, police returned to the blocks surrounding the Sunrise Theater to prepare for a drag performance show that has generated significant protest and controversy in town and on social media. 

The Downtown Divas drag show, which was scheduled for 7 p.m. but did not begin until 7:40 p.m., was scheduled as a fundraiser for Sandhills Pride, the local nonprofit supporting the LGBTQ community. The show originally allowed for children and teenagers to attend, but following angry protests online, the Sunrise and Sandhills Pride announced that only individuals aged 18 and older would be admitted.

[…] While drag show protesters gathered early, they were eventually outnumbered significantly by counter protesters, a number of whom waved rainbow flags, homemade signs and called out specific individuals who had stoked outrage toward the drag performance on Facebook over the past couple of weeks. Counter protesters chanted out expressions such as “I love you” and “love is love” and “love not hate.”

The Raleigh News & Observer’s journalist Martha Quillin reported that the drag show started at 7 p.m. and was under way when the power went out. Headliner Naomi Dix of Durham kept the show going until almost 9 p.m. “I asked that everyone turn on their phone flashlights to illuminate the room,” Dix said. “I then lead the crowd in singing Beyoncé’s ‘Halo.’”