Ariana Grande (pictured on her Yours Truly album) Paris Hilton, Jamie Lee Curtis and other celebrities have signed a petition opposing federal funding cuts to the 988 suicide hotline for LGBTQ+ young people, which has supported 1.3 million youngsters since 2022. Around 1.8 million young queer people experience suicidal thoughts every year.
As many corporations de-fund LGBTQ campaigns and support for Pride, Lime, the bike people, have launched a Pride campaign called Ride Forward over 24 cities worldwide. Lime is – still! – the official mobility sponsor for World Pride in Washington DC at the weekend and has pledged significant donations to LGBTQ+ organisations in participating cities.
The FBI is now coming for healthcare providers offering gender-affirming care to minors. Apparently part of the Trump administration’s focus on ‘child protection’, which introduced an executive order restricting gender-affirming care to anyone under the age of 19. A lovely moment for Pride Month. Oh, Pride Month has been banned. We forgot.
The US National Institutes of Health has cancelled the Centre for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development programme, which will slow down if not stop entirely any advances in research at a time when ongoing HIV prevention measures are facing cuts. Scientists warn that this could hinder efforts to end the HIV pandemic.
Park Grove Primary School in York has rebranded its early years centre as the Rainbow Hub to celebrate Pride Month. Headteacher Jo Sawyer said that the name reflects the school’s core values of individuality and inclusivity. Pupils have been getting down to painting rainbow flags and getting ready for a big Pride party with parents.
Bristol Childline has reported a surge in young people looking for help in coming out. Between April last year and March this year, Childline conducted nearly 2,500 counselling sessions on sexuality and gender, 40% of them specifically on the challenges of coming out. This a 4% increase on the previous year. Luckily, their funding isn’t being cut.