Japan’s capital has announced it will start recognizing same-sex partnerships to ease the burdens faced by residents in their daily lives, but the unions will not be considered legal marriages.

Support for sexual diversity has grown slowly in Japan, but legal protections are still lacking for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Japan does not legally recognize same-sex marriages, and LGBTQ people often face discrimination at school, work and at home, causing many to hide their sexual identities.

The Tokyo government said applicants for a partnership certificate will be limited to adult residents of the capital but will include foreign nationals.

Tokyo’s metropolitan government will begin accepting registrations in October.

The Shibuya district in Tokyo became the first Japanese municipality to issue partnership certificates in 2015.

Now, about 12% of the country's municipalities have taken similar steps.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — For 36 years, Quatrefoil Library has been a center for books and archived magazines about the queer experience.

"The mission, I think then as now is to be a crossroads, to be a place where people connect and to be a place where people can explore and be exposed to new ideas or existing ideas that they might already be thinking about," said executive director Claude Peck.

It’s a place that believes in the power of books for folks to see themselves in and connect to a community that they might otherwise not have. With this belief, the current culture war is something that worries Peck.

"It's a concern and things seem to be accelerating," he said.

According to PEN America, between July 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, 1,586 books were banned in 86 school districts across 26 states, including Minnesota where Quatrefoil is located. Most of the books had to do with race and LGBTQ topics.

"Books were an important part of my coming out process and so for me to be able to think about like, what was missing then and what is probably missing now. And can I write that?" said Rachel Gold, who is an associate professor and author of young adult books about queer characters.

"Representation is immensely important in young adult because it's this identity formation stage," they said.

Rachel says that they believe these bans come from fear. They believe that stories are one of the safest ways for teens to see themselves as they figure out their identity or for people to learn about others.

"Learning about LGBTQ lives is not going to turn anybody gay, but it is going to allow for broader, interesting, productive, and fulfilling work and friend relationships for the whole rest of your life," they said.

Just like Gold saw a gap in representation in literature, Rebecca Lawerence saw a gap in the telling of queer history. Lawrence started telling queer history, a series of gatherings for these stories to be passed down.

"There's like anger and also just hilarity that they think that that will keep us from knowing who we are or keep us from being who we are," they said.

Limiting exposure to queer literature won’t erase their community, but they believe barriers to access are harmful.

"Having stories to reflect yourself is extremely validating. It's a way to understand yourself and be like, okay, that's not exactly my story, but I can understand this. Like that's how we build empathy," Lawrence said.

When a new LGBTQ book is banned, Quatrefoil makes it a point to have it available.

"My parents hated my Frank Zappa album when I first bought it and I liked it twice as much as a result, so you gotta be careful of that to," joked Peck.

While conversations about excluding books in libraries continue, advocates for more available literature hope people consider the benefits of representation.

"People just need to be aware that this wisdom comes from all kinds of sources and that it's a changing world," said Peck.

Social media video was trailing a far-right Twitter influencer who sought to disrupt an LGBTQ pride event in Arlington, Texas Sunday. With her, a Dallas Fort Worth chapter of The Proud Boys.

They're a well-documented violent fascist gang that's also in the spotlight of the Congressional committee investigating the January 6 assault on the Capitol to overturn the presidential election.

"This latest stuff, where you have these radicalized groups that, you know, seem to delight in the cruelty — That's new," said Rafael McDonnell, communications manager at The Resource Center. 

LGBTQ advocacy groups in north Texas are alarmed by the recent harassment and disinformation campaigns of far-right social media influencers during Pride Month that is also attracting white nationalist groups.

"And I think that is, in part, fueled by some of the governmental response to LGBTQ folks, whether it's Governor DeSantis in Florida and 'Don't Say Gay' and some of the stuff," McDonnell continued. "And then Gov. Abbott here in Texas, you know, coming after the health care of transgender children."

On June 11, Idaho authorities intercepted 31 members of Patriot Front, a fascist white nationalist group that seeks to create a "whites-only America."

According to documents, an eyewitness said members gathered like "a little army." Police say they wanted to violently disrupt a pride event in the city of Couer d'Alene. 

David Cunningham, a sociologist, and expert on white supremacist and white nationalist groups says whether it's Patriot Front or The Proud Boys, both groups are showing up with conservative influencers to recruit more people into extremism. 

"As we saw this past weekend, showing up at public events to kind of promote ideas, but to do so in a way that is quite menacing, intimidating by design, and terroristic when you see it in the context that we saw it in in Idaho," he said. "And what I think we're seeing is a whole range of issues that are have been traditionally part of that white supremacist ecosystem, which are really about — they're framed in terms of reducing the power, visibility, and presence of, quote-unquote, traditional and right for white Americans."

In court records obtained by Newsy and Scripps sister station KSTU in Salt Lake City, Patriot Front members appeared prepared to cause mayhem. They came armed with "unusually long flag poles," a smoke grenade, and "metal shields."

Almost all carried small devices to record video and fashioned their own body armor using shin guards or putting hardened plastic in their ball caps. 

In a propaganda video posted on alternative social platforms prior to their arrests in Idaho, members appear spurred on by their leader, training with shields in a mock riot. Sparverius, which monitors extremist groups, says this is evidence Patriot Front prepared for violence.  

"I think underlying that, we see a theme continuous current as well of the threat of mass violence, of the threat of domestic terrorism attached to this. And so, you know, this, this is a really tenuous and fragile time, because I think the movement is simultaneously both of these kinds of things," Cunningham said.

Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here.

It began in the 1950s, during the communist witch hunt known as the Red Scare: A belief that gay people would be vulnerable to blackmail. 

"Homosexuals must not be handling top-secret material," former U.S Senator Joseph McCarthy said. 

Something that was never proven. 

David Johnson is a historian and author of the book "Lavender Scare" and says the name came from a color associated with LGBTQ people — a mix of the stereotypical blue for boys and pink for girls.  

"Before the Lavender Scare, as far as we know, gays and lesbians didn't have much trouble with the federal government. So there was a kind of openness," Johnson recounted. "The FBI or the Civil Service Investigators would call an employee into their office, make them swear an oath, would not allow them to have an attorney and would start asking questions. And usually the first question was, 'We have information that you are a homosexual. What comment do you care to make?'"

Johnson says thousands of gay and lesbian people were ousted from government jobs. 

"Most of them resigned quietly rather than, you know, face some sort of public humiliation," Johnson continued. "And some of them, we've learned, actually committed suicide after the brutal interrogations."

Then came government astronomer, gay activist, and veteran Frank Kameny.  

"To the best of my knowledge and belief, I was the first person to fight back out of all those large, huge numbers of people that were fired in the ‘50s," he said.  

He fought in the courts and on the streets, saying his civil rights were violated.  

The Lavender Scare ended after 25 years, in 1975, but the purge continued in the national security community. For LGBTQ Intelligence Officers, the discrimination often started with polygraphs.  

Tracey Ballard is a former Intelligence Officer for the CIA.  

"In 1988, during my polygraph, I decided to come out as a lesbian," she said.  

NEWSY'S SASHA INGBER: Wow. How did the polygrapher respond? 

TRACEY BALLARD: The polygrapher was just kind of like, 'Ohhh? Okay,' and we turned off all the recording machines, and we just had a conversation. 'Well, what did I mean, how did that work?,' and so we went through the questions and we reworked them so that I could answer them honestly. 

Ballard contacted every person involved in her investigation to get them to sign off and nearly two years later, she was cleared. Then, she founded and chaired a group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender officers at the CIA. 

"We went through the regulations, looked at the language and said, 'This is how this language affects this officer’s ability to move up in their career,'" Ballard continued. 

The game changer was President Bill Clinton signing an executive order that ended a ban on security clearances for gay workers. 

"We always said that we were the best persons to go undercover because we lived it on a regular basis back then. There were instances where we could engage with those in the foreign field, that perhaps were also in the LGBTQ community that others weren't reaching out to. We had the ability to go in, and speak to them in a way that others couldn't — where they could then trust us," Ballard said.  

But working overseas was complicated. Graham Segroves was one of the first intelligence officers to be openly gay during job the application process. He says when he started in 2002, he learned the CIA would not ask host countries if his boyfriend, now husband, could accompany him on foreign posts. 

"Let's be clear. I was talking about, 'Could I go to Europe? Could I go to Australia? Where could I go with my partner?,' and the answer was pretty much nowhere," Segroves said. 

He says he was never harassed or bullied, but the policy compelled him to stay in Washington, D.C. and silently stymied his career.  

"We were willing to spend money to send someone's pet overseas. But we were not willing to send their spouse," he said.  

That officially changed when the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. As the CIA raised the pride flag at its headquarters this month, an openly gay intelligence officer sat down with Newsy to discuss the culture today. We're concealing his identity and calling him "Drew," as he is still active in the CIA.  

DREW: Have I experienced any overt discrimination or people who have been outright rude or unkind to me because I'm gay? No. Have I heard about times when there might be something said that causes offense? Yes.

INGBER: So what is the agency doing, to make sure that the LBGTQ community isn't discriminated against in high stress situations?  

DREW: They have provided a seat at the table for members of the LGBTQ community, to talk about their experience with the senior-most leaders of the agency. My experience has been that those senior leaders have not just listened to what the individuals have to say, but they've acted on it. And they have, and they have picked up the phone and called the appropriate team and said, ‘this is an issue that we are wanting to address right now. What can be done?’ 

He says the CIA is currently working on it system updates so transgender officers can see their preferred names instead of their legal names, providing gender-affirming restrooms and training staff to handle medical issues and travel requests.  

INGBER: Is the agency recruiting in the LGBTQ community? 

DREW: Yeah. We have had a presence at DC pride, for example, and we've also been working with, in some instances, student groups — so that we can have an open conversation about what it looks like to be gay at CIA.  

There is now an Intelligence Community Pride Network, and this officer says all of their work was made possible by the people who bravely faced adversity before them. 

Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. 

A drag performer reportedly died while performing at a bar in Pennsylvania.

The owner of Tabu Philadelphia told NBC News that Valencia Prime collapsed on stage Monday.

"Today we mourn the loss of a very bright and rising star in the performance community and a person who was always full of life and positivity," the bar said in a statement online. "We say goodbye to Valencia Prime but we will not forget the light you brought to the stage."

A GoFundMe page to pay for Valencia Prime's funeral expenses has raised over $10,000. It's unclear what caused the 25-year-old's death.

Members of the drag community paid tribute to Valencia Prime online, saying the performer was "a loving presence" who made "the world better."

Tabu Philadelphia posted that it has reached out to Valencia Prime's family to make sure they have their blessing before hosting a show in the drag queen's honor.

Overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating affirmative action in higher education had been leading goals of the conservative legal movement for decades.

In a span of 370 days, a Supreme Court reshaped by three justices nominated by President Donald Trump made both a reality.

Last June, the court ended nationwide protections for abortion rights. This past week, the court’s conservative majority decided that race-conscious admissions programs at the oldest private and public colleges in the country, Harvard and the University of North Carolina, were unlawful.

Precedents that had stood since the 1970s were overturned, explicitly in the case of abortion and effectively in the affirmative action context.

“That is what is notable about this court. It’s making huge changes in highly salient areas in a very short period of time,” said Tara Leigh Grove, a law professor at the University of Texas.

As ethical questions swirled around the court and public trust in the institution had already dipped to a 50-year low, there were other consequential decisions in which the six conservatives prevailed.

They rejected the Biden administration's $400 billion student loan forgiveness program and held that a Christian graphic artist can refuse on free speech grounds to design websites for same-sex couples, despite a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and other characteristics.

The court, by a 5-4 vote, also sharply limited the federal government's authority to police water pollution into certain wetlands, although all nine justices rejected the administration's position.

Affirmative action was arguably the biggest constitutional decision of the year, and it showcased fiercely opposing opinions from the court's two Black justices, Clarence Thomas and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

They offered sharply contrasting takes on affirmative action. Thomas was in the majority to end it. Jackson, in her first year on the court, was in dissent.

The past year also had a number of notable surprises.

Differing coalitions of conservative and liberal justices ruled in favor of Black voters in an Alabama redistricting case and refused to embrace broad arguments in a North Carolina redistricting case that could have left state legislatures unchecked and dramatically altered elections for Congress and president.

The court also ruled for the Biden administration in a fight over deportation priorities and left in place the Indian Child Welfare Act, the federal law aimed at keeping Native American children with Native families.

Those cases reflected the control that Chief Justice John Roberts asserted, or perhaps reasserted, over the court following a year in which the other five conservatives moved more quickly than he wanted in some areas, including abortion.

Roberts wrote a disproportionate share of the term's biggest cases: conservative outcomes on affirmative action and the student loan plan, and liberal victories in Alabama and North Carolina.

The Alabama case may have been the most surprising because Roberts had consistently sought to narrow the landmark Voting Rights Act since his days as a young lawyer in the Reagan administration. As chief justice, he wrote the decision 10 years ago that gutted a key provision of the law.

But in the Alabama case and elsewhere, Roberts was part of majorities that rejected the most aggressive legal arguments put forth by Republican elected officials and conservative legal advocates.

The mixed bag of decisions almost seemed designed to counter arguments about the court's legitimacy, raised by Democratic and liberal critics — and some justices — in response to last year's abortion ruling, among others. The narrative was amplified by published reports of undisclosed, paid jet travel and fancy trips for Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito from billionaire Republican donors.

“I don’t think the court consciously takes opinion into account,” Grove said. “But I think if there’s anyone who might consciously think about these issues, it’s the institutionalist, the chief justice. He’s been extremely concerned about the attacks on the Supreme Court.”

On the term's final day, Roberts urged the public to not mistake disagreement among the justices for disparagement of the court. “Any such misperception would be harmful to this institution and our country,” he wrote in the student loans case in response to a stinging dissent by Justice Elena Kagan.

Roberts has resisted instituting a code of ethics for the court and has questioned whether Congress has the authority to impose one. Still, he has said, without providing specifics, that the justices would do more to show they adhere to high ethical standards.

Some conservative law professors rejected the idea that the court bowed to outside pressures, consciously or otherwise.

“There were a lot of external atmospherics that really could have affected court business, but didn't,” said Jennifer Mascott, a George Mason University law professor.

Curt Levey, president of the Committee for Justice, pointed to roughly equal numbers of major decisions that could be characterized as politically liberal or conservative.

Levey said conservatives “were not disappointed by this term.” Democrats and their allies “warned the nation about an ideologically extreme Supreme Court but wound up cheering as many major decisions as they decried,” Levey wrote in an email.

But some liberal critics were not mollified.

Brian Fallon, director of the court reform group Demand Justice, called the past year “another disastrous Supreme Court term” and mocked experts who “squint to find so-called silver linings in the Court’s decisions to suggest all is not lost, or they will emphasize one or two so-called moderate decisions from the term to suggest the Court is not as extreme as we think and can still be persuaded from time to time.”

Biden himself said on MSNBC on Thursday that the current court has “done more to unravel basic rights and basic decisions than any court in recent history.” He cited as examples the overturning of abortion protections and other decisions that had been precedent for decades.

Still, Biden said, he thought some on the high court “are beginning to realize their legitimacy is being questioned in ways it hasn’t been questioned in the past.”

The justices are now embarking on a long summer break. They return to the bench on the first Monday in October for a term that so far appears to lack the blockbuster cases that made the past two terms so momentous.

The court will examine the legal fallout from last year's major expansion of gun rights, in a case over a domestic violence gun ban that was struck down by a lower court.

A new legal battle over abortion also could make its way to the court in coming months. In April, the court preserved access to mifepristone, a drug used in the most common method of abortion, while a lawsuit over it makes its way through federal court.

The conservative majority also will have opportunities to further constrain federal regulatory agencies, including a case that asks them to overturn the so-called Chevron decision that defers to regulators when they seek to give effect to big-picture, sometimes vague, laws written by Congress. The 1984 decision has been cited by judges more than 15,000 times.

Just seven years ago, months before Trump's surprising presidential victory, then-Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reflected on the term that had just ended and made two predictions. One was way off base and the other was strikingly accurate.

In July 2016, the court had just ended a term in which the justices upheld a University of Texas affirmative action plan and struck down state restrictions on abortion clinics.

Her first prediction was that those issues would not soon return to the high court. Her second was that if Trump became president, “everything is up for grabs.”

Ginsburg's death in 2020 allowed Trump to put Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the court and cement conservative control.

Commenting on the student loan decision, liberal legal scholar Melissa Murray wrote on Twitter that Biden's plan “was absolutely undone by the Court that his predecessor built.”

The suspect in a mass shooting that killed five people at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ nightclub last year has pleaded guilty in the attack. Monday’s plea by Anderson Lee Aldrich comes just seven months after the shooting and spares victim’s families and survivors a long and potentially painful trial.

Aldrich pleaded guilty to five counts of murder and 46 counts of attempted murder. Aldrich also pleaded no contest to two counts of bias-motivated crimes, one a felony and the other a misdemeanor.

The defendant faces life in prison on the murder charges under the plea agreement.

“I intentionally and after deliberation caused the death of each victim,” Aldrich told Judge Michael McHenry.

People in courtroom wiped away tears as the judge explained the charges and read out the names of the victims.

The plea entered during a court hearing follows a series of jailhouse phone calls from Aldrich to The Associated Press expressing remorse and the intention to face the consequences for the shooting.

Several survivors told the AP about the plea agreement after being approached about Aldrich’s comments to AP. They said prosecutors had notified them that Aldrich, who is nonbinary and uses they and them pronouns, would plead guilty to charges that would ensure a sentence of life behind bars.

Aldrich originally was charged with more than 300 state counts, including murder and hate crimes. The U.S. Justice Department is considering pursuing federal hate crime charges, according to a senior law enforcement official familiar with the matter who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing case.

The attack at Club Q came over a year after Aldrich had been arrested for threatening their grandparents and vowing to become “the next mass killer.” But, charges were ultimately dropped in that case.

Victims’ family members and survivors are expected to speak at Monday's hearing about how their lives were forever altered by the terror that erupted just before midnight on Nov. 19 when the suspect walked into Club Q and indiscriminately fired an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle.

Aldrich had been arrested over a year before the attack for threatening their grandparents and vowing to become “the next mass killer.” But, charges in that case were ultimately dropped.

The line to get through security early Monday snaked through the large plaza outside the courthouse as victims and others queued up to attend the hearing. One man wore a t-shirt saying “Loved Always & Never Forgotten” in honor of victim Daniel Davis Aston, a 28-year-old bartender and entertainer at Club Q who was killed in the shooting.

Aldrich hinted at plans to carry out violent attacks at least a year before the Club Q assault. In June 2021, Aldrich's grandparents told authorities that they were warned not to stand in the way of a plan to stockpile guns, ammo, body armor and a homemade bomb to become “the next mass killer.” Aldrich was then arrested after a standoff with SWAT officers that was livestreamed on Facebook and the evacuation of 10 nearby homes, telling officers “If they breach, I’m a f----ing blow it to holy hell!” Aldrich eventually surrendered.

However, the charges against Aldrich were thrown out in July 2022 after Aldrich’s mother and grandparents, the victims in the case, refused to cooperate with prosecutors, evading efforts to serve them with subpoenas to testify, according to court documents unsealed after the shooting. Other relatives told a judge they feared Aldrich would hurt their grandparents if released, painting a picture of an isolated, violent person who did not have a job and was given $30,000 that was spent largely on the purchase of 3D printers to make guns, the records showed.

Aldrich was released from jail then and authorities kept two guns — a ghost gun pistol and an MM15 rifle — seized in the arrest. But there was nothing to stop Aldrich from legally purchasing more firearms, raising questions immediately after the shooting about whether authorities should have sought a red flag order to prevent such purchases.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said it would not have been able to seek a court order stopping Aldrich from buying or possessing guns because the 2021 arrest record was sealed after the charges were dropped. There was no new evidence that they could use to prove that Aldrich posed a threat “in the near future,” the sheriff’s office said.

Video below: Vigil pays respect to Club Q shooting victims

Investigators later revealed that the two guns Aldrich had during the Club Q attack — the rifle and a handgun — appeared to be ghost guns, or firearms without serial numbers that are homemade and do not require an owner to pass a background check.

Aldrich told AP in one of the interviews from jail they were on a “very large plethora of drugs” and abusing steroids at the time of the attack. But they did not answer directly regarding the hate crimes charges. When asked whether the attack was motivated by hate, Aldrich said only that was “completely off base.” Aldrich's attorneys, who have not disputed Aldrich's role in the shooting, have also pushed back on hate being the reason.

Some survivors who listened to the recorded phone calls saw Aldrich's comments as an attempt to avoid the death penalty which still exists in the federal system. Colorado abolished it in 2020 and life without prison is now the mandated sentence for first-degree murder in the state. They objected to Aldrich's unwillingness to discuss a motive and their use of passive, general language like “I just can’t believe what happened” and “I wish I could turn back time.”

INDIANAPOLIS — This LGBTQ Pride Month, advocates in Indianapolis want to draw attention to the disproportionate number of cases of domestic violence in the community.

Data from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence shows 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women face domestic violence at some point in their lifetime.

That's compared to 35% of heterosexual women.

For gay men, it’s 26%, and for bisexual men, it’s 37% compared to 29% of heterosexual men.

That number is more than 50% for transgender individuals.

“Everyone deserves to be in a safe relationship," Ash Rathwell, the training services manager at Domestic Violence Network, said. “It’s kinda swept under the rug or there’s just a lot of misconceptions that can happen as a result of not wanting to talk about it.”  

Rathwell goes out into the community and has conversations with organizations, businesses and universities about domestic violence.  

One in three women and one in seven men will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

Rathwell says for LGBTQ folks, there are unique forms of abuse.

"Being outed by the person causing harm. That person saying ‘well if you leave me, I’m going to tell this person in your life that you’re LGBTQ+," they said.

Abuse could also look like a partner weaponizing a person’s identity against them.  

“When we’re looking at the transgender community, that could look like refusing to use someone’s correct pronouns or dead-naming them on purpose as a way to cause harm to them," Rathwell said.

Deadnaming is the act of referring to a transgender or non-binary person by a name they used prior to transitioning, such as their birth name.

Rathwell says finding a place to turn to in crisis can be challenging.  

“Figuring out, is this organization going to be accepting if I come forward. Especially if it’s not a specifically LGBTQ+ organization. There can be some fear in that. A lot of these organizations are doing a lot of work to make sure they’re addressing this.”  

One of them is local social services organization Coburn Place.  

Vice President of Development Julie Henson says LGBTQ domestic violence cases are underreported because of additional barriers in receiving help.  

“Are services for me? Is this an affirming organization or is this an organization that is going to out me, shame me, give me services that aren’t designed for me and don’t understand my particular situation," Henson said.

That’s why she says Coburn Place makes an intentional effort to let survivors know they’re queer-affirming.  

“We are clear that we serve everyone. So we serve men, women. We serve trans people... On our website we have really specific, blatant - it’s like the third line on our website that’s like we serve you. And we’re going to name the different types of clients that we serve so that it’s not a guessing game.”  

Advocates want to remind you of possible warning signs of domestic abuse:

• That could look like your partner telling you that you never do anything right
• Showing extreme jealousy of your friends or time spent away from them
• Controlling your finances
• Pressuring you to have sex or perform sexual acts you’re not comfortable with
• Intimidating you with weapons like guns, knives, bats, or mace

Help is available to speak with someone today.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Hours: 24/7.

Languages: English, Spanish and 200+ through interpretation service.

800-799-7233
SMS: Text START to 88788

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. —

A 22-year-old gunman killed at least five people and injured 25 others in an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, just before midnight Saturday, police said Sunday.

The suspect in the shooting at Club Q was identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, according to Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez.

Upon entering the club, he immediately opened fire before at least two people inside the club confronted and fought him, preventing further violence, Vasquez said.

"We owe them a great debt of thanks," he said.

Aldrich is being treated at a hospital, police said. Officers did not shoot at him, police said.

Colorado has seen some of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, including the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School. Last year in Colorado Springs, a mass shooting at a birthday party left six dead.

Here's what we know about the fatal attack in Colorado Springs:

The shooting lasted just minutes

The violence lasted just minutes. Police received numerous 911 calls starting at 11:56 p.m., officers were dispatched at 11:57 p.m., an officer arrived at midnight and the suspect was detained at 12:02 a.m., police said. A total of 39 patrol officers responded, police said, and Fire Department Captain Mike Smaldino said 11 ambulances went to the scene.

Aldrich used a long rifle in the shooting and two firearms were found at the scene, Vasquez, the police chief, said.

Joshua Thurman told CNN affiliate KOAA he was inside the club dancing when he heard gunshots and saw a muzzle flash.

"I thought it was the music, so I kept dancing," he said. When he heard another round of shots, Thurman said he ran to a dressing room to hide.

He said he heard the sounds of more gunshots, people crying and windows being shattered. When he came out, he saw bodies lying on the ground, broken glass and blood, Thurman said.

Authorities initially said 18 people were injured but later adjusted that total up to 25.

Nineteen of the 25 injured had gunshot wounds, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers told CNN on Sunday. Based on communication with medical personnel, Suthers said he expects the injured victims to survive and the community is "crossing our fingers" for no more fatalities.

Police are investigating whether the attack was a hate crime

Police said they were investigating whether the attack was a hate crime, noting Club Q's relationship with the LGBTQ community. The shooting came as the calendar turned to Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday.

"Club Q is a safe haven for our LGBTQ citizens," Vasquez said. "Every citizen has a right to feel safe and secure in our city, to go about our beautiful city without fear of being harmed or treated poorly."

In a statement on social media, Club Q said it was "devastated by the senseless attack on our community" and thanked "the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack."

A man with the same name as the suspect was arrested last year

Two law enforcement sources confirmed that the suspected nightclub shooter's date of birth and name matched a person who was arrested over a bomb threat the previous year, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also told CNN he believed they were one and the same: "Everything I heard indicates it is the same person," Polis said.

Anderson Lee Aldrich was arrested in June 2021 after a standoff at a Colorado Springs home where his mother lived, according to a news release from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office at the time, and his mother's former landlord.

Video obtained by CNN shows Aldrich surrendering to law enforcement last year after allegedly making a bomb threat. Footage from the Ring door camera of the owner of the home shows Aldrich exiting the house with his hands up and barefoot, and walking to sheriff's deputies.

Sheriff's deputies said in the June release that they responded to a report by Aldrich's mother that he was "threatening to cause harm to her with a homemade bomb, multiple weapons, and ammunition."

Deputies called the suspect, and he "refused to comply with orders to surrender," the press release said, leading them to evacuate nearby homes.

Several hours after the initial police call, the sheriff's crisis negotiations unit was able to get Aldrich to leave the house he was in, and he was arrested after walking out the front door. Authorities did not find any explosives in the home.

It's not immediately clear how the case was resolved. But the Colorado Springs Gazette reported that the district attorney's office said no formal charges were pursued in the case. The district attorney's office did not respond to a request for comment from CNN.

Aldrich also called the Gazette in an attempt to get an earlier story about the 2021 incident removed from the website, the newspaper reported. "There is absolutely nothing there, the case was dropped, and I'm asking you either remove or update the story," Aldrich said in a voice message, according to the Gazette.

Attempts by CNN to reach Aldrich's mother for comment were unsuccessful.

The club was a 'second home' for the LGBTQ community

Club Q opened in 2002 and was, until recently, the only LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs.

The city is the state's second-most populous with just under 500,000 residents.

In a July 2020 interview with Colorado Springs Indy, Club Q owner Nic Grzecka said he and his business partner opened the club to get a "permanent" safe place in the city.

The venue also hosts events for people of all ages, including brunch and planned an upcoming Thanksgiving event.

Lifelong Colorado Springs resident Tiana Nicole Dykes called Club Q "a second home full of chosen family."

"I'm there every other week if not every single week. This space means the world to me. The energy, the people, the message. It's an amazing place that didn't deserve this tragedy," Dykes told CNN on Sunday. "Something like a mass shooting at an LGBT+ safe space is damaging beyond belief. There's feelings of disrespect, disbelief, and just pure shock. Nobody ever thinks it's gonna happen to them, and sometimes it does."

What political leaders are saying

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat and the nation's first openly gay governor, issued a statement Sunday calling the attack "horrific, sickening and devastating" and offered state resources to local law enforcement.

"We are eternally grateful for the brave individuals who blocked the gunman likely saving lives in the process and for the first responders who responded swiftly to this horrific shooting," he said. "Colorado stands with our LGTBQ community and everyone impacted by this tragedy as we mourn together."

Polis told CNN's Jim Acosta there are only two gay bars in Colorado Springs, and Club Q was one of the main venues.

"Everyone knew it. I knew it, knew this venue. It's just shocking. That's still setting in for people. But I know we're going to bounce back. We're showing love for one another. We're showing healing for one another," the governor said.

Colorado's two U.S. senators, both Democrats, offered condolences in statements and said more should be done for the LGBTQ community.

"We have to protect LGBTQ lives from this hate," Sen. John Hickenlooper said.

"As we seek justice for this unimaginable act, we must do more to protect the LGBTQ community and stand firm against discrimination and hate in every form," Sen. Michael Bennett said.

President Joe Biden also issued a statement saying he was praying for the victims and their families.

"While no motive in this attack is yet clear, we know that the LGBTQI+ community has been subjected to horrific hate violence in recent years. Gun violence continues to have a devastating and particular impact on LGBTQI+ communities across our nation and threats of violence are increasing," Biden said in the written statement.

COVINGTON, Ky. — Just ahead of Pride Month, Covington police added another LGBTQ+ liaison to its patrol. It was days before NKY Pride in Mainstrasse.

"Everyone was very receptive," said police specialist Doug Ullrich. "I got to meet a lot of people, shake a lot of hands, be out in the community and help interface the police department with people in the LGBTQ+ community."

Ullrich joined one of the department's original LGBTQ+ community liaisons, Lt. Jennifer Rudolph. She's been in the role since 2016, when she and then-assistant chief Rob Nader started the unit.

"This is just like another resource that we have with ways and avenues to respond to people who are in crisis," Rudolph said.

The pair specialize in building relationships with the community and focusing on breaking down barriers with police when its members become victims of crimes.

"Having liaisons with the community, I think just is one step that we can take to ensure that occurs," Ullrich added.

The department looked to expertise from across the river when the liaison jobs launched. Cincinnati Police Department has had LGBTQ community liaisons since 2013. Covington also turned to the NKY Pride Center and its director Bonnie Meyer.

"The need for the police department to be part of and involved in the community is obvious," Ullrich said.

But relations between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community have historic strains. Enforcement of strict and cruel laws meant to criminalize being gay or gender non-conforming people sometimes led to violence. An anti-police riot at New York City's Stonewall Inn in June 1969 is widely credited with starting the modern Pride movement.

Some Pride parades have banned uniformed law enforcement.

"I think, though, when we have officers in the City of Covington who have been allies and supporters that it's important to recognize that, that they're here doing the work," said Covington resident A.J. Miller. "And it's important to build on those relationships."

Miller's already had interactions with Ullrich during planning for the NKY Pride Festival at the beginning of the month. Miller is the festival chair.

"It just adds more of a contact that we can have here in the city of Covington," he said.

And, like in the Cincinnati Police Department, the liaisons are finding their work isn't limited to the community outside the walls of the department. They're helping educate fellow officers, too. One example: language, including pronouns.

"Being familiar with how people want to be referred to, using their proper pronouns and I think that was a big thing with educating ourselves," said Rudolph.

Ullrich agrees.

"A lot of it comes down to just trying to have open and frank conversations," he said. "People we work with who are not as familiar with how to deal with people in the community and how to have that open and respectful conversation and also with community members on how to interact with police."

With Ullrich's addition, there is a liaison on patrol at nearly every hour of the day.

The Covington Police LGBTQ+ liaisons can be reached by email at jrudolph@covingtonky.gov and dullrich@covingtonky.gov.

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SALT LAKE CITY —

The city of St. George must issue a permit for a Utah-based group that organizes drag performances to host an all-ages drag show in a public park, a federal judge ruled, calling the city's attempt to stop the show unconstitutional discrimination.

Related video above: Federal judge rules Tennessee’s anti-drag show law is ‘unconstitutional’

"Public spaces are public spaces. Public spaces are not private spaces. Public spaces are not majority spaces," U.S. District Judge David Nuffer wrote in a Friday ruling granting the preliminary injunction requested by the group. "The First Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures that all citizens, popular or not, majority or minority, conventional or unconventional, have access to public spaces for public expression."

Southern Utah Drag Stars and its CEO, Mitski Avalōx, sued the city of St. George in May after the city denied the group permits for an all-ages show it aimed to host in a public park in April. A complaint filed in federal court accused city officials of "flagrant and ongoing violations of their free speech, due process, and equal protection rights," and asked for St. George to reverse its decision and authorize a drag show at the end of June.

A city events coordinator told Drag Stars, Avalōx said, that the group could start advertising for the April show before obtaining a permit. The city council later denied the permit, citing a never-previously-enforced ordinance that forbids advertising before permit approval.

The permit denial based on that ordinance, Nuffer wrote in his ruling, was a pretext for discrimination.

"Public officials take an oath to 'support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Utah,'" Nuffer wrote. "They do not merely serve the citizens who elect them, the majority of citizens in the community, or a vocal minority in the community."

The city now may not enforce any new advertising prohibitions against the group or its show, Nuffer ruled, ordering that the performance must "take scheduling precedence over any other event."

In a statement, the city of St. George said it is committed to ensuring public parks and facilities remain viable and open to residents and those who want to hold special events.

"Our intent is always to follow the law both when we enact laws and when we enforce laws, and we will continue to do so," the statement said. "We have read Judge Nuffer's opinion and while we are disappointed in the result, we are currently evaluating our options in light of the ruling."

The lawsuit marked the most recent development in a fight over drag shows in St. George, Utah, a conservative city 111 miles (179 kilometers) northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. Since HBO filmed a drag show in a public park last year for an episode of its series "We're Here," the city has emerged as a flashpoint in the nationwide battle over drag performances as they've garnered newfound political scrutiny in Republican-controlled cities and states.

Public events like drag queen story hours and the all-ages event that Avalōx intended to put together have been increasingly targeted in legislatures throughout the country. In May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a ban on minors attending drag shows, and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a ban on people dressed in drag from reading books to children at public schools and libraries.

In Utah, a proposal from a St. George Republican to require warning notices for events like drag shows or pride parades in public places stalled after advancing through the state House of Representatives in March. The proposal stemmed from the pushback that resulted from the HBO-produced drag show in St. George.

City officials issued permits for the show over the objection from some council members and community activists. City Manager Adam Lenhard resigned months later after writing councilmembers to say that he could not legally deny the show permits, according to emails obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune.

Avalōx founded Southern Utah Drag Stars after the fallout, hoping to showcase drag for members of the LGBTQ+ community in a rural place where such forms of entertainment are often lacking.

"I made it my mission to continue to do these events and not just one month out of the year, but to do so people that were like me when I was little ... can see that there are queer adults that get to live a long and fulfilled life," Avalōx said in an interview with The Associated Press. "My biggest ambition was to provide a public space where people can go to a park and enjoy a show that's meant for everyone."

MINNEAPOLIS, Mn. — As parents of two, Hannah and Dave Edwards have a lot on their plates and they love it that way.

"Hildie's got acting opportunities that she's always auditioning for, so we're hopeful about that and Dahlia has really awesome soccer and track," said Dave.

The past few months have been filled with a lot of highlights for this family of four. Hildie, who identifies as trans and uses she/her pronouns, was the marshal of the local pride parade.

"Uplifting, super uplifting," said Hannah about the experience.

But 2022 has also been filled with a lot of darkness, including the recent mass shooting at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"It was a tough one, I'm not gonna lie. It was a hard one for Hildie, I think especially because she is old enough now to realize what's going on," said Hannah.

Explaining a mass shooting tragedy to any kid is a hard ask, but explaining one when your kid identifies with those targeted is a challenge "rainbow families," or families that have one or more members of the LGBTQ community in them, have had to face lately.

"We try and keep things as being other people versus our family and we can't control other people and there's this evil that exists in the world, but it has nothing to do with who she is," said Dave.

When we first met this family, they talked about their hardships and their victories in raising Hildie. While she experienced bullying and adversity in school, with the help of her family and outside support, she's been able to find her voice and become and an enthusiastic advocate.

Issues involving LGBTQ people remain in the political zeitgeist, but Dave and Hannah, who work in advocacy as well, say they've also seen an increase in folks wanting to learn how to support kids like Hildie.

"Lots of educators are really digging down deep and responding to things like what happened in Colorado and saying like, 'How can we lay the foundation to prevent that kind of thought process and, and behavior from occurring in the future,'" said Dave.

Focusing on the negatives can get heavy, especially for kids who are in the process of figuring out who they are, but they say things like this increased interest is a reason to celebrate.

"Despite a lot of the hostility that's going on, there are a lot of good people that are reaching out for support, that are really trying to do what's best for LGBTQ+ kids," he said.

While the Edwards hope more folks will want to learn how to best support members of the LGBTQ community in this next year, they also are going to hold on to each happy moment with their kids and enjoy being the colorful family that they are.

Numerous states across the country are moving to ban gender-affirming care for transgender individuals.

In response, other states are now pushing to become sanctuaries for people seeking that health care.

"There's been a resurgence of a lot of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills," said Brianna Titone, a Democratic state representative and Colorado's first openly transgender state lawmaker. "There are other bills in other states that are saying anybody who is trans cannot get any type of health care services for trans care up to age 25. So, we're not just talking about trans youth, but we're talking about trans adults."

Lawmakers across the country are working to address legal protections for transgender people, parents of transgender youth and providers of gender-affirming care. The protections stem from changes this year on the federal and state levels regarding abortion rights and gender-affirming care.

SEE MORE: Advocates Worry About The Effects Of State Laws Targeting LGBTQ Youth

"When the Dobbs decision came down, that scared a lot of people into what is possible that the Supreme Court can do to undo a lot of the protections that have already been done," Titone said.

According to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, these initiatives are led by many openly LGBTQ+ lawmakers. These bills would ban law enforcement from arresting people who go out of state to pursue gender-affirming care where it's legal.

"Texas would consider gender-affirming care for trans kids and trans youth to be child abuse," said Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. "That it would be investigated by the state, then those kids could be taken away from their families. Our legislators are looking for opportunities to send a public message that their states, if at all possible, will become safe havens for those families."

"It's a struggle for a lot of people that I talk to on a daily basis in a lot of different states," Titone said. "I think about that myself, not being able to get the care that I need. I may be able to get through that mentally, but there's a lot of people who can't. There are a lot of people that their gender dysphoria is so bad they result to harming themselves in deep depression. And that can ruin a person."

SEE MORE: The Effect Of Transgender Athlete Bans On Youth Sports

According to the Trevor Project, 52% of transgender and non-binary youth have considered suicide. The report also shows that for people under age 18, receiving hormones was associated with nearly 40% lower odds of recent depression and a past-year suicide attempt.

According to writings from Moira Szilagyi, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is a strong consensus that "evidence-based, gender-affirming care for transgender children and adolescents is medically necessary and appropriate. It can even be lifesaving." Szilagyi noted that it doesn't necessarily mean hormone therapy or surgery.

This is why Titone is pushing for protection in her state for gender-affirming care, continuing the trend that has happened in 18 other states.

"We're going to take a stance of putting up a barrier to make sure whatever kind of crazy things they come up with to try to go after people," Titone said. "Whether they're providers here or patients coming here, we're going to make sure that we protect them in any situation we can and stay within the constitution. And that's the tricky part, doing this without breaking any constitutional laws."

A federal judge in Tennessee has ruled that a state law limiting public drag show performances represented an “unconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech.”

“As a matter of text alone, the (Adult Entertainment Act) is a content, and viewpoint-based restriction on speech. The AEA was passed for the impermissible purpose of chilling constitutionally-protected speech,” US District Court Judge Thomas Parker, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, said in a 70-page late-Friday ruling.

Parker, who called the law “unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad,” also barred the defendant in the case – the district attorney of Shelby County, which is home to Memphis – from enforcing the law in that county.

The court ruling comes after Friends of George’s, a Memphis-based nonprofit that produces drag performances and comedy sketches, sued in March to stop the law from going into effect, arguing it was a violation of its free speech. Parker then temporarily blocked the state from enforcing the ban as he considered the law’s constitutionality.

Tennessee Republicans, who hold supermajorities in the state legislature, earlier this year passed the measure to restrict public drag show performances, which was signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. The law sought to limit “adult cabaret performances” on public property to shield children from viewing them, threatening violators with a misdemeanor and repeat offenders with a felony. The ban specifically included “male or female impersonators” who perform in a way that is “harmful to minors.” It had been set to go into effect on April 1.

“WE WON!” Friends of George’s wrote in a tweet Saturday. “Judge Parker has declared Tennessee’s anti-drag law unconstitutional!”

Tennessee officials have argued that the measure is not a full ban and is only intended to stop overtly sexual performances in front of minors. Parker, in his ruling, acknowledged the state’s “compelling interest in protecting the psychological and physical wellbeing of children” but ruled against the law as “an unconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech.”

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement Saturday that his office was reviewing the order and expects to appeal “at the appropriate time.”

“The scope of this law has been misrepresented in public by those more interested in pressing a narrative than in reading the statutory text,” Skrmetti said. “The Adult Entertainment Act remains in effect outside of Shelby County. This narrowly-tailored law protects minors from exposure to sexually explicit performances. Its operative language is rooted in the U.S. Supreme Court’s long-established First Amendment precedent.”

CNN has also reached out to Lee’s office for comment.

Tennessee’s law is just one of a slew of other similar measures that Republican-led state legislatures across the country have considered this year.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for president, signed a bill last month that, among other things, gives his administration the power to take away licenses from establishments if they allow children into an “adult live performance,” widely interpreted as a crackdown on drag shows.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed legislation in May that prevents children from attending “sexually oriented shows” and from being present at obscene performances on public property. It specifically targets drag story hours, which it defines as “an event hosted by a drag queen or drag king who reads children’s books and engages in other learning activities with minor children present.”

Republicans say the performances – which often feature men dressing as women in exaggerated makeup while singing or entertaining a crowd, though some shows feature bawdier content – expose children to sexual themes and imagery that are inappropriate. LGBTQ advocates, however, argue that not all drag shows are sexual in nature and laws such as the ones in Montana and Tennessee stigmatize the community and could violate the First Amendment.

Minor League Baseball player Anderson Comas is the latest professional athlete to come out as gay.

Comas joined the White Sox organization about five years ago. In his post, Anderson wrote about wanting to normalize gay athletes in sports.

"I enjoy my work a lot, being a professional baseball player is the best thing that happened to me so I just wanna say something to those people that says that gay people can not be someone in this life," Comas wrote. "Well look at me I’m Gay and I’m a professional athlete."

Thousands of people commented on Comas' post, noting his courage in revealing something so personal.

Chris Getz, White Sox assistant general manager, said Comas revealed his sexuality to the organization last year.

"I was very pleased that he was comfortable sharing with us in player development," Getz said. "I also was happy at the reaction across the organization, which as you would expect was to support, help and congratulate a teammate."

Comas, who was born in the Dominican Republic, is currently a relief pitcher. The 23-year-old had a 6.35 ERA as a pitcher in 2022.

Being publicly gay in professional sports is a rarity. There are no openly gay players in Major League Baseball. Carl Nassib was the first active player in the NFL to come out in 2021. Michael Sam came out and was drafted St. Louis Rams, but he never played in a regular season game.

JUNIATA, Neb. — Dreams look and sound different to everyone.

To Levi Gorsuch and Danny Leonard, life on their ranch is their dream progressing in real time

"They joke if you can work cows together, you can survive anything," said Leonard.

While Gorsuch was born into ranching, his husband, a doctor from San Diego, serendipitously stumbled into it after they met

They own B Bar L Hereford Cattle, where they raise bulls to sell for breeding. It’s not an easy life in the least, yet it’s something they love to work for.

"We start when the sun's down and we go till the sun goes back down," said Gorsuch.

Gorsuch and Leonard weren't sure how they would be accepted in rural America, but they have been greeted with open arms in Juniata, Nebraska.

Aside from raising cattle, Leonard works as a pediatrician and Gorsuch coaches high school volleyball.

They say their neighbors have embraced them as dedicated community members and hard workers.

"I think a huge misconception among the LGBTQ+ community is that you have to harbor and grow and experience in an isolated way only in cities," said Leonard. "It wasn't until I met my six-foot-four cowboy moving out here that I leaned that, not only is it the two of us, there is actually a huge network of LGBTQ+ people in agriculture, in ranching, in livestock management."

The couple documents their life on social media, which has allowed them to mak connections with others with similar backgrounds.

There’s greater LGBTQ+ representation in rural communities than one may think. A 2019 study by thinktank Movement Advancement Projects estimates 2.8 million to 3.9 million members of the LGBTQ community live in rural areas. That’s 3% to 5% of all rural Americans.

Even with the representation already there, Leonard and Gorsuch say keeping an open mind about rural Americans and upholding their responsibilities to their neighbors, has made life work for them.

"Every single day, every single exposure, every single conversation educates you. And, if you are willing to listen with the same regard that you were hoping to be heard by this community as you found yourself, I think you'll, I think you'll make it work," said Gorsuch.

"I just encourage young people or any people of any age who want to make the move to just do it," said Leonard. "The rest falls into place."

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — House Bill 470, which would ban gender-affirming care in Kentucky for anyone under the age of 18, passed out of committee Thursday on a 14-7 vote. The bill then went on to pass in the House on a 75-22 vote. It will now head to the Senate.

LGBTQ advocates showed up to the Kentucky State Capitol with signs reading "human rights = trans rights” and “protect our youth.”

Opponents of HB 470 worry it will have deadly consequences if it becomes law. The concern is more trans kids will take their lives.

Changes to the bill have been floating around but the committee jumped straight into comment without going over the changes.

The bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Decker, says the bill seeks to protect Kentucky kids (under the age of 18) from "irreplaceable damage."

Rep. Decker says the bill focuses on hormone and surgical treatments for minors.

On Thursday, Tennessee became the first state to ban public drag show performances after Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law.

The law prohibits such shows from being “viewed by a person who is not an adult.”

The legislation was previously approved by the state’s House and Senate in party-line votes. Both chambers of the state legislature overwhelmingly approved the measure.

On the same day, Lee signed into law a measure that would ban gender-affirming care for minors.

Both measures were opposed by advocates for the LGBTQ community, including GLAAD.

"The slate of hate proposed by Tennessee lawmakers this year would hurt countless LGBTQ youth and families in our state, and would do nothing to make Tennessee a more welcoming and economically prosperous place,” said Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project. “Lawmakers need to focus on the real issues plaguing our state, not perpetuate myths and distractions around drag performances and basic health care access for transgender people. We need more acceptance and understanding for our local communities in Tennessee, not less."

The bills in Tennessee were among 300 identified by GLAAD last month that are considered anti-LGBTQ. Among them are a number of states considering similar bans on drag shows.

The organization also noted that there were 141 incidents targeting drag shows in 2022, including six in Tennessee.

Bill sponsor State Sen. Jack Johnson said the legislation protects children.

“This bill gives confidence to parents that they can take their kids to a public or private show and will not be blindsided by a sexualized performance,” Johnson said.

GLAAD disputes that the performances are harmful to kids.

“Outlets and accounts often misrepresented what would occur at upcoming drag events, spinning them as harmful to children, and protests or threats would follow,” the organization said.

HELENA, Mont. —

Montana Republican leaders will vote Wednesday on censuring or expelling lawmaker Zooey Zephyr, a transgender state representative who has been silenced in the House since last week after telling colleagues that if they voted for a bill to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender children they would "have blood on their hands."

On Tuesday night, Zephyr tweeted a letter she received from House leaders informing her of the plan to consider disciplinary action against her during Wednesday's session.

"I've also been told I'll get a chance to speak," Zephyr tweeted. "I will do as I have always done — rise on behalf of my constituents, in defense of my community and for democracy itself."

Montana's House speaker canceled Tuesday's floor session without explanation, the latest development in a standoff over whether Montana Republicans will let the lawmaker from Missoula speak unless she apologizes for her remarks last week on a gender-affirming care ban proposal.

Much like events in the Tennessee Statehouse weeks ago — where two lawmakers were expelled after participating in a post-school shooting gun control protest that interrupted proceedings — Zephyr's punishment has ignited a firestorm of debate about governance and democracy in politically polarizing times.

"Republicans are doubling down on their agenda of running roughshod over Montanans' rights — to free expression, to peaceful protest, to equal justice under the law," House Minority Leader Kim Abbott said of the plan to discipline Zephyr.

Zephyr's remarks, and the Republican response, set off a chain of events that culminated in a rally outside the Capitol at noon Monday and seven arrests later that afternoon when protesters packed into the gallery at the Statehouse brought House proceedings to a halt while chanting "Let her speak." The scene galvanized both those demanding she be allowed to speak and those saying her actions constitute an unacceptable attack on civil discourse.

Such a protest won't be allowed to happen on Wednesday. Republican leaders said in the letter sent to Zephyr that the gallery will be closed "to maintain decorum and ensure safety."

Speaker Matt Regier did not take questions on Tuesday or explain why lawmakers were not returning to the floor, but in a brief statement called the disruptions a "dark day for Montana."

"Currently, all representatives are free to participate in House debates while following the House rules," Regier told reporters. "The choice to not follow the House rules is one that Rep. Zephyr has made. The only person silencing Rep. Zephyr is Rep. Zephyr. The Montana House will not be bullied."

Republican Rep. Casey Knudsen, the chair of the House Rules committee, said Tuesday's cancellation gave leadership time to respond to Monday's events. Abbott said she saw leadership's decision to cancel as giving lawmakers "some time to regroup."

Under Regier's leadership, the House has not allowed Zephyr to speak since last week when she said that those who voted to ban gender-affirming care for young people would have "blood on their hands." He and other Republicans said the remark was far outside the boundaries of appropriate civil discourse and demanded she apologize before being allowed to participate in legislative discussions.

The events have showcased the growing power of the Montana Freedom Caucus, a group of right-wing lawmakers that has spearheaded the charge to discipline Zephyr. The caucus re-upped its demands and rhetoric Monday. In a statement they said that Zephyr's decision to hoist a microphone toward the gallery's protesters amounted to "encouraging an insurrection."

Although several protesters resisted law enforcement officers trying to arrest them on Monday, Abbott pushed back at characterizing the activity as violent. She acknowledged it was disruptive, but called the demonstration peaceful. She said public protests were a predictable response to a lawmaker representing more than 10,000 constituents not being allowed to speak and questioned bringing in officers in riot gear to handle the chanting protesters.

"It was chanting, but it absolutely was not violent," she said. "Sometimes extreme measures have a response like this."

There were no reports of damage to the building and lawmakers were not threatened.

On Monday, Zephyr said the seven arrested were "defending democracy" and in an earlier speech said that the sequence of events that followed her remarks illustrated how they had struck a chord with those in power.

"They picked me in this moment because I said a thing that got through their shield for a second," she told a crowd of supporters gathered on the Capitol steps near a banner that read "Democracy dies here."

She said she does not intend to apologize and argued that her "blood on your hands" remark accurately reflected the stakes of such bans for transgender kids.

___

In the video player above: Gender-affirming care further explained

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has highlighted efforts by Republican governors and statehouses across the country to embrace proposals limiting the rights of transgender people, signing new restrictions as he moves closer to a presidential bid.

The restrictions are spreading quickly despite criticism from medical groups and advocates who say they're further marginalizing transgender youth and threatening their health.

Here's what's happening:

FLORIDA'S RESTRICTIONS

DeSantis on Wednesday signed bills that ban gender-affirming care for minors, restrict pronoun use in schools and force people to use the bathroom corresponding with their sex assigned at birth in some cases.

DeSantis also signed new restrictions on drag shows that would allow the state to revoke the food and beverage licenses of businesses that admit children to adult performances. The DeSantis administration has moved to pull the liquor licenses of businesses that held drag shows, alleging children were present during lewd displays.

The rules on gender-affirming care also ban the use of state money for the care and place new restrictions on adults seeking treatment. They take effect immediately, along with the drag show restrictions. The bathroom and pronoun restrictions take effect July 1.

DeSantis has been an outspoken advocate for such restrictions, and championed a Florida law that restricts the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. Florida has expanded that prohibition, which critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law, to all grades.

WHERE BANS STAND NATIONALLY

Hundreds of bills have been proposed this year restricting the rights of transgender people, and LGBTQ+ advocates say they've seen a record number of such measures in statehouses.

At least 17 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and several other states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. Proposed bans are also pending before Texas and Missouri's governors.

These bans have spread quickly, with only three states enacting such laws before this year.

Before DeSantis signed the latest ban, Florida was one of two states that had restricted the care via regulations or administrative action. Texas's governor has ordered child welfare officials to investigate reports of children receiving such care as child abuse, though a judge has blocked those investigations.

Three transgender youth and their parents who are suing to block Florida's earlier ban on the care for minors expanded their challenge on Wednesday to include the prohibition DeSantis signed into law.

Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, has opposed the bans and supported the medical care for youth when administered appropriately. Lawsuits have been filed in several of the states where the bans have been enacted this year.

STATES POISED TO ACT

A proposed ban on gender affirming care for minors is awaiting action before Republican Gov. Mike Parson in Missouri. The state's Republican attorney general, Andrew Bailey, this week withdrew a rule he had proposed that would have gone further by also restricting access to the care for adults.

Bailey cited the bill pending before Parson as a reason for eliminating the rule, which had been blocked by a state judge.

Nebraska Republicans on Tuesday folded a 12-week abortion ban into a bill that would ban gender affirming care for minors, potentially clearing the way for a final vote on the combined measure as early as this week.

Not all states are adopting restrictions, and some Democrat-led states are enacting measures aimed at protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.

Michigan Democrats plan to introduce legislation Thursday that would ban conversion therapy for minors, a discredited practice of trying to "convert" people to heterosexuality.

The legislation is expected to move quickly with Democrats in control of all levels of state government. Democratic state Rep. Jason Hoskins, a sponsor of the bill, told The Associated Press that he hopes the legislation passes by the end of June, which is Pride Month.

___

Associated Press writers Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida; Margery Beck in Lincoln, Nebraska; Margaret Stafford in Kansas City, Missouri; and Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to this report.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The amendment of Florida's controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill currently in the legislature that could forcibly out LGBTQ students has been withdrawn.

That amendment would have required teachers or the principal to disclose to parents within a 6-week span of time if their child said anything about identifying as LGBTQ. Representative Harding withdrew the amendment Tuesday afternoon. Floor debate on the bill is expected to start later Tuesday.

To read the bill in its entirety, click here.

LGBTQ advocates have fought back against what they call the "Don’t Say Gay" bill at the state Capitol, with protesters calling it "dangerous" and "bigoted." The group held signs reading the "censorship state" and charged Republicans with putting politics over people.

"This is outrageous pandering with real-world consequences," said Jon Maurer with LGBTQ civil rights group Equality Florida.

The effort comes as GOP lawmakers continue to advance the policy which bans discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary classrooms. Republicans have said the bill protects parents' rights and keeps them in charge of a student's education, records and well-being while at school.

The "Don’t Say Gay" bill was just one of several policies opponents were labeling as "censorship" legislation under consideration this year. They also took issue with DeSantis' goal to ban critical race theory in schools and businesses, calling the bill's language too vague, worrying it would chill race education.

LGBTQ representation on television is growing.

Advocacy group GLAAD reports it’s getting a boost mostly from streaming platforms.

GLAAD published its “Where We Are on TV” report this week.

It found that on traditional tv, broadcast during primetime, nearly 12% of characters are LGBTQ.

That’s an increase of 2.8% since 2021, marking a new record high since the group started tracking representation on television.

For the first time in the report’s history, lesbian characters make up the majority of LGBTQ characters on tv.

Racial diversity is also up.

The group added five new streaming services to its report, including Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+ and Peacock.

This helped drive up the number of LBGTQ characters on streaming to a total of 358.

However, the group did not see improvement in all areas.

GLAAD reported it only found two tv characters living with HIV and they both appeared on one show – FX’s Pose.

This marks a decrease from 2021.

The report also mentions no network has created a show that features an LGBTQ-majority cast the way some cable programmers have.

MONTPELIER, Vt. — In many states across the country, there is a push to eliminate the so-called "panic defense." It is a legal defense used after committing a crime against someone because of their sexual identity.

It often comes into play when a criminal defendant claims they panicked after learning an intimate partner’s sexual identity or gender at birth.

“We were the first state to actually pass marriage equality and civil unions on a legislative level,” said Vermont state legislator Rep. Taylor Small.

Small is Vermont's first openly transgender state legislator and she was able to unanimously pass a bill that bans the "panic defense."

Vermont became the 13th state to ban the legal maneuver.

According to LGBTQ+ Bar, juries have acquitted dozens of defendants who used the strategy. The most recent acquittal happened in April 2018.

“When I came to work in the statehouse four years ago, one of the first topics we took the state's attorney general was trans or gay panic defense,” said Brenda Churchill who is with the LGBTQ+ Alliance. “We wanted it to go through statute or law, to eliminate the possibility that the criminal defendant could use that as an excuse.”

After Vermont, two more states banned the "panic defense."

Small said that this is something that is pivotal in LGBTQ+ rights.

“I think what it really underscores is the ability to trust our judicial system or just have more trust,” Small said. “So, I would love to see this passed in all the states in our nation, but I would also love to see this protection on a federal level, so it doesn’t have to be this individual state battle. I know that Senator Ed Markey already has a bill introducing banning the "panic defense," but I think what we see on the federal level is that it is slow to move on various bills.”

According to LGBTQ+ Bar, 12 more states have introduced bills banning the "panic defense," and advocates like Keith Goslant said those states can look to places like Vermont for help.

“We have created a bit of a template on how you can approach it,” Goslant said. “We have a template of the people you can invite in, and other model of pieces of legislation we looked at in crafting our bill. These are the components that made it right for us, and this is what we can present to other states and to help on federal level.”

“We don’t see it as a single movement or a single moment,” Small said. “But this is continue work that we need to ever change and ever learn through.”

SHERIDAN, Colo. — Fewer than 1% of small businesses in America are certified LGBT business enterprises.

One new Colorado business is working to break the stigma around what types of businesses the LGBTQ+ community owns and operates.

For many, cars are a necessity, which creates a need for proper repair and care.

It’s something often thought of as a man’s job and that stigma instilled a fear in CC Haug for years.

“I just really enjoy seeing things come together and then being able to take care of people," said CC Haug.

“Throughout my entire life that’s been one of those things, knowing inside that I would prefer to transition and sort of live this way I always had that fear that within that industry, to sort of be pushed out of it. To no have a comfortable safe place to work or even a place that I enjoy.”

They are a transgender person who has always had a passion for vehicles.

“My whole life has been around cars. My dad growing up owned a couple different car dealerships over the years, my brothers owned a couple different shops over the years," said CC Haug.

Being their true self while also working in the repair space is what led to the opening of Good Judy Garage.

CC and Faith Haug, the co-owners, wanted their business to be a place where customers can be comfortable.

“One of us said wouldn’t it be really nice if there was like a queer auto shop here in town and there isn’t and we were like oh well let’s make one," said Faith Haug.

“But it’s more about giving them a place that they know they can go for something that had given them anxiety in the past. Right so it’s kind of one more place you know you can go that’s safe because you still have a long list of places you have to go that’s not.”

Good Judy Garage opened in December 2021 and the co-owners say their quick success is a testament to the need their business is filling.

“I think in the first month we had 215 individual customers, not repeat, like individual people, use us in the first month," said Faith Haug.

“There’s 10 auto shops down this street, you can find an auto shop on any block right. So to just be another auto shop but to get that many customers in our first month really says something to us.”

The Haug's have also become role models within the community, making an impact much bigger than themselves.

“I’ve had a few people say that and it strikes me so strangely I don’t even know how to react to that most of the time," said CC Haug.

“I hope what were doing is making a positive difference in the world or even just on some level changing the way people look at things or think about things.”