By Dana Rudolph on June 30, 2011
Although there has been research dating back to the early 1970s on LGBT suicide risk, it wasn’t widely used by mainstream researchers or mental health care practitioners specializing in suicide prevention, said the director of prevention projects for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Posted in Health, Issues, News
By Dana Rudolph on June 16, 2011
Schools receiving federal funds must provide equal access to school resources for all student groups, including gay-straight alliances (GSAs), said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a “Dear Colleague” letter to educators on June 14.
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on June 8, 2011
Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth are more likely than their heterosexual peers to be at increased risk for unhealthy behaviors, such as alcohol and drug use, risky sexual behaviors, and attempting suicide, according to a groundbreaking new federal study.
Posted in Health, Issues, News
By Dana Rudolph on June 1, 2011
Kevin Jennings, the openly gay head of the federal office that manages its largest safe-schools and anti-bullying programs, will be leaving the U.S. Department of Education next month. But he said President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan remain committed to addressing the bullying of LGBT students.
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on May 31, 2011
When Congress and the White House worked out their differences in early April concerning the Fiscal Year 2011 budget, it was clear that some programs important to the LGBT community would take a hit. But the consequences of their final agreement are now being felt.
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on May 26, 2011
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on May 23 announced up to $9.1 million in grants to address the housing needs of people with low-incomes living with HIV/AIDS.
Posted in Health, HIV/AIDS, Issues, News
By Dana Rudolph on May 18, 2011
A popular anti-bullying campaign has been telling bullied teens “it gets better”–but the effects of past bullying often linger, according to new research.
Posted in Health, HIV/AIDS, Issues, News
By Lisa Keen on May 4, 2011
Before it left on spring recess, the U.S. House passed a budget for Fiscal Year 2012 that the president called “wrong for America” and that AIDS activists have said would do “irreparable harm.”
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on April 20, 2011
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a memo April 6 encouraging child welfare agencies to better serve the needs of “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth” in the foster care system.
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on March 11, 2011
The White House held a high-visibility conference on bullying prevention March 10, with the President and First Lady calling on parents, teachers, students, and communities to address the problem together.
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Dana Rudolph on March 9, 2011
Members of Congress are introducing a flurry of bills this week designed to address bullying and harassment of students, including LGBT students, and timed to coincide with a major White House conference on bullying prevention March 10.
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on February 21, 2011
The Dept. of Health and Human Services said it “strongly supports” regulations which protect the rights of health care providers from being “compelled to perform or assist in an abortion.” But what it did not say was of greater interest to the LGBT community.
Posted in Federal Courts, Health, Issues, Law, News, Politics, White House
By Dana Rudolph on December 31, 2010
The federally supported National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NAASP) on December 30 officially announced a task force dedicated to suicide prevention among LGBT youth.
Posted in Health, Issues, News
By Dana Rudolph on November 19, 2010
A national task force dedicated to suicide prevention among LGBT youth will be part of the new National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a public-private partnership supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on November 11, 2010
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this month announced a grant of up to $22.4 million for suicide prevention, some of which will be used to address the needs of LGBT youth.
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, News
By Dana Rudolph on October 27, 2010
Leaders of the U.S. House’s LGBT Equality Caucus called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Tuesday to do more to stop suicides among LGBT youth, calling the suicides “a serious public health problem which cannot wait.”
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on August 31, 2010
Equality in hospital visitation policies is not a controversial issue. That’s what seems apparent from the 427 comments received during the just ended public comment period on the proposed regulation to implement President Obama’s hospital visitation memorandum.
Posted in A closer look, Health, Issues, National Politics, News, White House
By Chuck Colbert on March 21, 2010
Rep. Tammy Baldwin acknowledged that the pro-gay provisions she sought in the health care reform legislation have not survived. But Baldwin also said that she has counted the votes in the House on two major pro-gay pieces of legislation and believes the votes for passage are there.
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on March 10, 2010
Same-sex marriage bans may be harmful to the mental health of gay people in those states. That is the conclusion of a new study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Posted in Health, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News
By Lisa Keen on February 22, 2010
President Obama released a new health care reform bill that he says incorporates work done in the House and Senate and adds ideas from Republican members of Congress. But there’s no inclusion in this new proposed measure of any of the gay-related provisions in the original House bill.
Posted in Health, Issues, News, Politics, White House
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Federal appeals panel rules Prop 8 videos stay under seal
GOP gays and Florida back Romney
New HUD rule called ‘truly historic’
Religious bias cases at high court