Blog
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network issued a scathing condemnation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 8-1 ruling in Chiles v. Salazar. The decision, which sides with a Colorado-based counselor, threatens the validity of state-level bans on the discredited and harmful practice of “conversion therapy” by reclassifying medical malpractice as “protected…
LOS ANGELES, CA – On March 20, the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, along with TransFamily Support Services, the Trans Latin@ Coalition, and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, convened a listening session for key California health agencies to elevate the urgent needs and lived experiences of transgender, gender-diverse, and intersex (TGI) community members…
SACRAMENTO, CA — A coalition of LGBTQ+, health care, and civil rights organizations is urging state leaders to approve a $26 million one-time General Fund investment to protect access to medically necessary health care for transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex (TGI) Californians. Despite clear legal protections under state law, escalating federal attacks are destabilizing access to…
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox — two cases that will shape whether transgender youth are allowed to play on the same school sports teams as their peers. These cases were never only about…
The California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network and Health Access California respond to the draft notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that aim to prevent access to medically necessary health care for trans youth nationally. “The Trump administration has made it blatantly obvious that…
Governor Newsom has vetoed SB 418 – In response, the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network Director, Dannie Ceseña, issued the following statement: “It is with profound disappointment that we acknowledge the Governor’s veto of SB 418. This decision is a significant setback, but it does not diminish the immense effort of everyone who…
By: Tania A. Ruedas Ortiz (she/they), We Breathe Communications Intern It was through the non-binary community that I began to understand myself more fully. Hearing others share their stories helped me embrace my identity and feel comfortable using she/they pronouns. That sense of belonging gave me the confidence to ask deeper questions—not just about myself,…
In June 1969, LGBTQ+ people, led by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, fought back against police brutality at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. This act of resistance sparked a national movement for dignity, safety, and equality. Pride was never just a celebration; it was a protest demanding…
Cigarettes and vapes are being lit up across queer nightlife spaces – influencing queer culture, aesthetics, and connection. In this Spotlight On, OUT Against Big Tobacco LA dives into the complicated relationship between tobacco and queer joy, grief, and belonging. We are asking: How can we honor the spaces that provide community support while protecting…
This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its deeply disappointing ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti, upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The Court concluded that the law does not discriminate based on sex or transgender status and therefore does not require heightened judicial scrutiny. We know this is wrong, and we are…