Supreme Court refuses to take Kim Davis’ appeal to overturn marriage equality

What she was asking for: Kim Davis, a county clerk from Kentucky, has been involved in a lawsuit for a decade now after her refusal to issue same-sex couples marriage licenses. This summer, she asked the Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality because, she said, it infringed on her freedom of religion.

Why it matters: Marriage equality is safe for another year.

Kim Davis tried to get the Supreme Court to stop marriage equality. They just shut her down.

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The Olympics will likely completely ban trans women from the 2028 Summer Games

What this changes: The International Olympic Committee previously had a stringent policy on trans women’s participation in women’s sports, so strict that no trans women competed at the 2024 Summer Games. But it appears that the committee is looking towards implementing a total ban, perhaps to comply with the president’s call to ban trans women from the Olympics.

Why it matters: A return to sex testing at the Olympics could hurt a lot of people.

Olympics expected to introduce ban on trans women athletes by 2028 summer games

Expert estimates that the administration has killed 600,000 people since January, just with USAID cuts

Who said it: Atul Gawande, the former head of USAID, which administered America’s foreign humanitarian aid, called the current administration’s cuts to foreign aid a “public man-made death.” He was referring to nearly 200,000 adult and over 400,000 child deaths, many of which were due to HIV/AIDS after the U.S. cut off funding for HIV medications.

Why it matters: Those deaths were easily preventable.

Former USAID chief says Trump responsible for 600,000 dead since January

Trans Air Force members sue after they were denied retirement benefits

What happened: The Air Force told trans servicemembers that they could get early retirement benefits if they voluntarily left the Air Force. After their retirements were approved and they left, the Air Force denied them retirement benefits.

Why it matters: The trans military ban is a costly policy, but the country is supposed to live up to its promises to all service members.

The Air Force revoked trans servicemembers’ retirements. They’re fighting back.

The only LGBTQ+ senator tried to protect health care for Americans until the bitter end

What she did: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) opposed the small group of Democrats who joined Republicans in reopening the government without securing funding for credits that help working-class people get health care, so she filed an amendment to extend those credits and argued for it.

Why it matters: Health care is about to get a lot more expensive for some people because this measure failed. Access to health care has always been one of Sen. Baldwin’s top issues.

Tammy Baldwin tried to save affordable health care subsidies. Republicans stopped her.

In pictures

Palm Springs, California, celebrated Pride last weekend, making it one of the last cities in the U.S. to host Pride festivities this year. Here are some pictures from the event.

And here are some interesting queer and trans reads

LGBTQ Nation columnist Faefyx Collington explains how last week’s elections were less a repudiation of anti-trans politics and more a sign of the president losing his grip on the electorate.

Anti-trans Republicans lost last week. Donald Trump doesn’t care.

LGBTQ Nation contributor Drew Sitton talked to a trans man about how his mother was a fierce advocate for him getting the care he needed growing up.

“You said that to the wrong damn mama”: How one mom’s fight for her trans son became a movement

LGBTQ Nation editor-in-chief Alex Bollinger explains how the right hasn’t just diluted the term “groomer” but often doesn’t even care about children who are abused.

Everything is grooming now except for actually grooming children

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