Obama White House Continues LGBTQ+ Legacy

On March 14th, Raffi Freedman-Gurspan became the first transgender person to become the White House's LGBT Liason when she was appointed by President Obama. 

So, who is Raffi Freedman-Gurspan?

Well, she is originally from Massachusetts, and went to college in the Midwest, Minnesota. Freedman-Gurs studied abroad in Norway during college and is a proficient Norwegian speaker!

Our new Liaison has been an LGBT advocate for a long time, which makes sense because her first internship after college had her working for the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition!

Raffi is not only the first transgender member of the White House staff, but she was also the first openly transgender legislative staffer to work in the Massachusetts House of Representatives! 

Supreme Court rules same-sex couples have the right to marry

In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Constitution guarantees a nationwide right to same-sex marriage.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in the 5 to 4 decision. He was joined by the court’s four more liberal justices.

Justice Kennedy said gay and lesbian couples had a fundamental right to marry.

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family,” he wrote. “In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”

New Year, New You?

New Years is a time for renewal, growth and commitment to your goals! In the LGBT community, this is important because we are given a chance to remember the things we are working on improving within ourselves. Here's a list of LGBT New Years resolutions for you to consider!

New Years is a perfect time to do something you've never done before! So whether you decide to visit the Castro District in San Francisco for the first time, or you want to see a live play this year -- make it happen! Accumulating positive experiences is a great way to prepare for any difficult time you encounter this year.

Contributing to the community can be very helpful. No, not Tulare silly! I'm talking about the LGBT community! Volunteer at an HIV clinic or help out at your school's Gay Straight Alliance. Helping to build the queer community makes you feel great while improving your support network!

Next time someone says something homophobic or insensitive around you, try teaching them the right words. I know, it's hard not to get mad! But that's the only way we can make a difference. 

LGBT Athletes Visible In Rio

The 2016 Olympics in Rio De Jineiro have been an amazing spectacle in sport and pizzazz. Not only have the athletes competed at a high level, but the LGBT community has seen many of their own community members thrive in the spotlight.

 The first Gold Medal won by Brazil was earned by openly lesbian judo star Rafaela Silva. She took home the top prize after coming out on August 10th to a popular magazine during an interview. What a great accomplishment for Silva, Brazil and the LGBTQ+ community!

Along with Judo, the queer community also represented at swimming, with Rachel Bruni of Italy earning a Silver Medal in the 10K marathon! She may have swam far, but she took queer visibility even further with this great showing.

Lastly, British diver and openly gay man Tom Daley took home another Bronze Medal this year. By winning third in synchronized diving, this gay role model added to his tally that began in London 2012, where he took home Bronze in an individual event. Go Tom!

Although the Olympics are over, we don't have to wait two years to see fantastic LGBT athletes competing. They are in action all over the country and the world, showing that queer people can compete with anyone in any sport.