Metro Weekly

Researchers in France and Spain have diagnosed several men who have sex with men in at least three countries with dermatophilosis, a skin disease that typically infects livestock, reports STAT News. The infection — also known as “rain rot,” “rain scald,” “lumpy wool disease,” and streptotrichosis — typically affects cattle, sheep, goats, and horses, primarily in tropical and subtropical climates. In rare cases where the bacteria affects humans, infections have generally occurred among people who have direct contact with infected animals, such as farmers, hunters, veterinarians, or riders. The disease, which is usually mild — although it can occasionally become more severe — presents as a rash consisting of pimples, pustules, or crusty lesions that do not itch. The Lyon cluster involved nine individuals, one of whom reported having multiple sexual partners at saunas in Paris. Genetic sequencing results suggested the bacteria can be transmitted through human sexual contact. Since publication of the article, the number of infected individuals in the Lyon cluster has risen to 25, with cases also reported in Paris, Bordeaux, Saint-Étienne, and Annecy. Read the full story on our website at MetroWeekly.com. #lgbtq #lgbtqnews #france #virus #spain

U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Clarke, of the U.S. District Court of Oregon, issued a preliminary injunction on April 29 blocking the placement of trans women in men’s prisons and ordering the Oregon Department of Corrections to conduct individualized safety assessments for trans inmates — directly conflicting with President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring inmates to be housed according to their assigned sex at birth. The case stems from a class-action lawsuit brought by two prisoners on behalf of current and future trans inmates, accusing the state of failing to protect trans women from sexual and physical violence by housing them in men’s prisons. The injunction will remain in effect for 90 days and can be renewed through a motion by the prisoners who filed suit, who are identified only by their initials. Clarke also ordered a status report within a month to determine whether the Department of Corrections is complying with the injunction. Read the full story on our website, MetroWeekly.com #oregon #lgbtqnews #lgbtq #courtdecision #politics

David Green, the founder of the conservative Christian retailer Hobby Lobby, donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Them Before Us, an anti-LGBTQ organization behind the Greater Than Campaign, a national effort seeking to overturn the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling. Them Before Us, the lead organization behind the Greater Than campaign, was founded in 2018. It advocates against marriage rights for LGBTQ couples based on the presumption that being raised by same-sex parents is harmful to children. Hobby Lobby was previously at the center of a landmark 2014 Supreme Court case ruling that private, “closely held” for-profit corporations do not have to provide insurance coverage for contraception — and, potentially, other health treatments — if doing so would conflict with the corporation’s religious beliefs. Read the full story on our website at MetroWeekly.com. #hobbylobby #lgbtqnews #obergefellvhodges #lgbtq #businessnews

Monroe County, Florida, home to the Florida Keys, will stop spending public funds to promote several LGBTQ events that draw thousands of tourists to Key West each year. The county announced the decision on May 5, citing a law signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last month prohibiting public money from being spent on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The law bars preferential treatment or special benefits for groups based on characteristics such as race, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Despite the economic boost LGBTQ events provide to Key West, organizers will no longer be eligible for tax reimbursement starting January 1, 2027. Read the full story on our website. #florida #floridakeys #lgbtq #prideparade #floridanews

Minnesota Aurora FC has signed its first trans player, adding former Cal State Fullerton standout goalkeeper Isaac Ranson to the community-owned USL W League, a pre-professional women’s soccer division. Ranson played for the Cal State Fullerton Titans women’s soccer team, where he twice earned Big West Goalkeeper of the Year honors. He finished with school records for saves (347), shutouts (31), and minutes played (6,934), according to Cal State Fullerton’s website. Ranson first came out as queer during his freshman year of college, when he redshirted and gained an additional year of eligibility. He later socially transitioned, adopting the name Isaac and male pronouns. By the 2024 season, he was fully out as trans and remained eligible to compete under NCAA rules allowing trans and nonbinary athletes assigned female at birth to play on women’s teams if they had not begun hormone therapy. Read the full story on our site at MetroWeekly.com. #minnesota #soccer #womenssoccer #lgbtq #sportsnews

Someone's happy. Wet, 1996.

Congressional Republicans have attached five anti-LGBTQ riders to the National Security and Department of State Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2027. The bill, which funds the U.S. State Department and national security programs, is considered “must-pass” legislation. Lawmakers often attach riders, unrelated provisions with little connection to the underlying bill, to such measures in order to push through proposals that might not survive greater scrutiny. All five riders, ranging from Pride flag bans to federal funding prohibitions, appear designed to align with executive orders issued by Trump since taking office in January 2025. If enacted by Congress, they would be more difficult for a future Democratic president to reverse. Get the full scoop on our site at MetroWeekly.com. #congress #lgbtq #politics #legislation #washingtondc

According to a news release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Andre Brown Jr., 33, of Davenport, Florida, was watching three children when a 9-year-old girl texted her mother to report that he was physically abusing them. In interviews conducted after Brown’s arrest, the children told police that Brown became angry at the 5-year-old for “being gay” and slammed him on the ground multiple times. Brown then allegedly became upset with the two other children over a past incident and began striking all three children with a belt. When deputies arrived at the home on Sunday, May 3, and attempted to remove Brown from the scene, he allegedly pulled away, became increasingly loud, and began yelling slurs, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities say he continued yelling and resisting even after he was placed in handcuffs. Brown allegedly told deputies that he beat the child because he was gay, saying he would “beat the gay out of him if possible, but since it wasn’t possible he would beat him more.” Due to Brown’s statements to police, prosecutors classified the alleged assault as a hate crime and enhanced the aggravated child abuse charge by one degree. Brown also faces a first-degree misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest. It is unclear what Brown’s relationship to the children was. The full story is on our website at MetroWeekly.com. #florida #lgbtqnews #hatecrime #lgbtq #crime

GOP lawmakers in Congress are pushing two bills that would restrict teachers from acknowledging transgender identity or discussing gender identity in schools. The first measure, House Bill 2616 — dubbed the Parental Rights Over the Education and Care of Their Kids Act, or PROTECT Kids Act — would require federally funded public elementary and middle schools to obtain parental consent before changing a student’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on official records. The bill would also require schools to notify parents before allowing trans students to access sex-segregated spaces, such as locker rooms or restrooms, that do not align with their sex assigned at birth. The bill would apply to schools receiving federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, which supports education for low-income students. Nearly all U.S. school districts receive some form of ESEA funding. On April 29, lawmakers voted 216-210 along party lines to advance a rule allowing consideration of the bill. A final vote is expected in the coming weeks. A second measure, House Bill 2617, introduced by U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), would bar the use of ESEA funds “to teach or advance concepts related to gender ideology.” In practice, that could mean schools risk losing federal funding for discussing or even acknowledging trans identity — including in biological or historical contexts. Dubbed the “Say No to Indoctrination Act,” the measure would amend ESEA to prohibit such instruction and define “gender ideology” in terms aligned with an executive order from President Donald Trump that recognizes only individuals’ sex assigned at birth. A companion version of the bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate. Read the full story on our website at MetroWeekly.com. #education #lgbtqnews #lgbtq #politics #legislation

Match Group, the company behind Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge, has invested $100 million in Sniffies, a cruising app for men seeking men. The deal gives Match Group a significant minority stake, with the option to take full ownership later. Based in Seattle, Sniffies has an estimated 3 million monthly active users. Match Group says the app will continue to operate independently, with support for its “vision and growth.” Some raised concerns about CEO Spencer Rascoff’s previous stint as a board member of Palantir, a defense tech and data-mining company whose tools are used by militaries and counterterrorism analysts, including the U.S. intelligence community and the Pentagon. “Hopefully this doesn’t become a surveillance application,” one LinkedIn user wrote. As reported by Wired, others have expressed skepticism about the deal, saying the platform may have to compromise on the qualities that first drew them in. Read the full story on our website at MetroWeekly.com. #lgbtq #technews #businessnews #lgbtqnews #matchgroup

A federal judge has ordered St. George, Utah, to pay a group of drag performers more than $350,000 in attorneys’ fees after previously ruling in the troupe’s favor in a First Amendment case. U.S. District Judge David Nuffer ordered the city to cover the legal costs accrued by Southern Utah Drag Stars over a three-year legal battle, finding it is bound by the terms of a 2025 settlement. Southern Utah Drag Stars initially planned to stage a drag show at a private venue, but it was canceled after the owner received threats against employees’ safety, according to St. George News. The group then applied for a permit to hold the show in a public park in April 2023. The city granted the permit, then revoked it after the group and its CEO, Mitski Avalox, advertised the event before it was finalized — a violation of city code. Organizers objected, noting that other non-LGBTQ events had not had permits revoked for premature advertising. Read the full story at MetroWeekly.com. #lgbtq #utah #stgeorgeutah #drag #legalnews

From Indiana’s first openly gay state legislator winning a Congressional primary to a new financial investment in a hookup app causing a stir, Maximilian has for MetroWeeky the latest Weekly LGBTQ News in a Minute or Two! 🏳️‍🌈 #lgbtq #politics #lgbtqnews #indiana #politicalnews