Answers sought in murder of Black trans man in Florida

A Black transgender man was fatally shot in southern Florida earlier this month in a case that is not currently considered by authorities to be a hate crime, though some advocates are m... Show more

A Black transgender man was fatally shot in southern Florida earlier this month in a case that is not currently considered by authorities to be a hate crime, though some advocates are more skeptical of the circumstances surrounding the man’s death. Tee Arnold, 36, was found wounded with a gunshot wound at the 800 Block of Silks Run, which is near The Village at Gulfstream Park shopping plaza in Hallandale Beach. A Hallandale police spokesperson told Gay City News that the case is not being investigated as a hate crime, but would not elaborate on whether there are any suspects, citing the ongoing investigation. Arnold was initially listed in critical condition and taken to Aventura Medical Center, where he died of his injuries days later on on April 7. In the aftermath of the shooting, Aaron Smith, the Hallandale Beach police chief, described the case as an “isolated incident,” according to News 10 Miami, an ABC affiliate. But some others aren’t dismissing foul play or, more specifically, the possibility that Arnold was killed due to his gender identity — especially in light of reports that Smith had previously conveyed that he was in danger. The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a national civil rights group serving Black LGBTQ individuals, described Arnold’s death as one “driven by hate of a trans man.” “Weeks prior to his death, Tee posted that his life was in danger, indicating that if the police had taken action on the threats against his life, this tragedy could have been prevented,” NBJC director of public policy and programs Victoria Kirby York said in a written statement. ...

Biden’s new Title IX rules protect LGBTQ+ students, but avoid add...

The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday by the Biden administration. Th... Show more

The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday by the Biden administration. The new provisions are part of a revised Title IX regulation issued by the Education Department, fulfilling a campaign pledge by President Joe Biden. He had promised to dismantle rules created by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who added new protections for students accused of sexual misconduct. Notably absent from Biden’s policy, however, is any mention of transgender athletes. The administration originally planned to include a new policy forbidding schools from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes, but that provision was put on hold. The delay is widely seen as a political maneuver during an election year in which Republicans have rallied around bans on transgender athletes in girls’ sports. Instead, Biden is officially undoing sexual assault rules put in place by his predecessor and current election-year opponent, former President Donald Trump. The final policy drew praise from victims’ advocates, while Republicans said it erodes the rights of accused students. The new rule makes “crystal clear that everyone can access schools that are safe, welcoming and that respect their rights,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. “No one should face bullying or discrimination just because of who they are, who they love,” Cardona told reporters. “Sadly, this happens all too often.” Biden’s regulation is meant to clarify schools’ obligations under Title IX, the 1972 women’s rights law that outlaw...

PrEP campaign aims to boost awareness among trans New Yorkers

Coinciding with National Transgender HIV Testing Day, a coalition of trans health organizations kicked off a bilingual PrEP awareness campaign on April 18 in an effort to spread the wor... Show more

Coinciding with National Transgender HIV Testing Day, a coalition of trans health organizations kicked off a bilingual PrEP awareness campaign on April 18 in an effort to spread the word about the HIV prevention medication to more transgender individuals. The campaign, dubbed “My Body. My Life. My PrEP,” features video testimonials and social media graphics featuring trans individuals discussing why they take PrEP and reassuring others who may be skeptical or have concerns about side effects. While some videos are in Spanish, others are in English, and all of them have subtitles on YouTube to allow viewers to translate the video if necessary. The awareness effort represents the latest edition of a joint campaign involving Amida Care, Colectivo Intercultural Transgrediendo, Community Healthcare Network (CHN), Destination Tomorrow, New Pride Agenda, and TransLatinx Network. The same organizations ran an awareness campaign last year under a similar slogan, “Your Body, Your Life, Your PrEP,” and that effort also specifically targeted transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.  The coalition of organizations announced the latest campaign at the Manhattan headquarters of the New Pride Agenda, a statewide organization working to improve the economic, health, racial, and gender identity justice needs of marginalized LGBTQIA+ individuals.  The overarching goal of the campaign is to bolster PrEP uptake among transgender individuals at a time when the medication is known for disparities and stigma, ultimately limiting its potential. Elisa Crespo, New Pride Agenda’s executive director, told ...

Black transgender artist Nahshon Dion draws inspiration from her ...

Nahshon Dion, a Black trans writer and filmmaker living in the Bronx, knows where to find her happy place — one that unexpectedly reminds her of seeing mountains, waterfalls and horses ... Show more

Nahshon Dion, a Black trans writer and filmmaker living in the Bronx, knows where to find her happy place — one that unexpectedly reminds her of seeing mountains, waterfalls and horses while growing up in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley, Calif. For Dion, walks around Crotona Park and Indian Lake bring her back to her youth in Pasadena and Altadena in Los Angeles County. While Dion, 46, said her early childhood was “tranquil and quiet,” her life since then has seen turmoil. For one, it took a few tries over several years for Dion to get and keep a home in New York City — but her home here has always been in the Bronx. She first moved to the borough in July 2013, and now, on her third Bronx apartment, she has finally planted roots here.  “I like the Bronx, I like the excitement” and “all the different flavors,” Dion said. “Living in the Bronx, you’re not gonna be bored.” Dion said she loves having friends of all different backgrounds and almost feels the Bronx is a different country. “There’s no other place where you have this amount of diversity,” she said. “It’s the richness of all the cultures.”  Dion said that for her safety as a Black trans woman, she avoids certain places — especially bodegas — because of the drama that can pop up at these places. But she said she’s “learned how to navigate the Bronx.” “Despite the violence, I still feel the Bronx is a beautiful place,” she said. And even though many Bronxites don’t have material wealth, “These kids don’t seem mad. I see people smiling, barbecuing in the parks.” The people and scenery of the Bronx provide constant inspiratio...

Social housing for queer liberation

As the co-chairs of the NYC Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus, it is our duty to uplift our city’s proud legacy as home to world-changing queer movements and longstanding queer communities, and... Show more

As the co-chairs of the NYC Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus, it is our duty to uplift our city’s proud legacy as home to world-changing queer movements and longstanding queer communities, and to do our part to help ensure that queer New Yorkers are able to live safe, healthy, joyous lives for generations to come. That’s why we’re fighting for what the policy world calls “social housing” — permanently affordable homes, democratically owned and controlled by the people who live there, in conjunction with the public. That might mean limited equity cooperatives, or maybe community land trusts, or maybe even public housing, but the essence is this: social housing protects residents from price hikes driven by speculators, which can lead to mass displacement seemingly in the blink of an eye. Why is social housing a queer issue? For one thing, queer New Yorkers are disproportionately affected by the affordability crisis. Queer New Yorkers are likelier than our cishet counterparts to have experienced employment discrimination. Since we are also more likely to have experienced family separations, there are more of us cut off from a crucial line of support that helps others build nest-eggs and transfer them between generations. We — and especially our trans siblings — are likelier to work in the sex industry, on which grounds landlords are permitted to discriminate against potential tenants. But there is also another reason social housing is a queer issue: queerness requires affordability. Queer communities’ most important artistic, cultural, and social contributions were born in underground and counterc...

Trans-led scuba diving company caters to queer travelers

Niko Kowell had long given up his dream to spend his life in the depths of the ocean. Then the pandemic happened. The 40-year-old transgender non-profit professional spent his life advo... Show more

Niko Kowell had long given up his dream to spend his life in the depths of the ocean. Then the pandemic happened. The 40-year-old transgender non-profit professional spent his life advocating for the transgender and queer community at San Francisco Community Health’s Trans: Thrive, a drop-in program. After spending 14 years working his way up from program assistant to associate director of health equity — where he managed millions of dollars in city and state contracts — Kowell hit a wall during COVID-19 and quit in September 2021. From there, Kowell pivoted to his other life-long passion: scuba diving. Since childhood, the ocean has been a playground for Kowell and his three siblings during family vacations in the Caribbean and Florida. The Cincinnati native has been scuba diving for more than 20 years. He got certified when he was 18 years old as a high school graduation present from his mother, the Bay Area Reporter reported. “I’ve always just been fascinated and in love with ocean,” he said. “Both of my parents loved the ocean.” After leaving the non-profit world, Kowell took a job working at Bamboo Reef Scuba Diving Centers, San Francisco’s lone dive shop in the South of Market neighborhood, to become a scuba instructor teaching a range of diving classes. He also continued volunteering at the Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39, something he has done for 12 years. Recently, he became the dive safety officer at the aquarium. “I’ve always wanted to pursue this path,” he said. “I can always go get another job down the road if I need to, but I’m like, ‘Let’s see what happens if I become an ...