Tag:
Gender Identity
Fort Lee, NJ
News
PalPark Spa Forced To Let Trans Clients In Nude Locker Rooms Matching Gender ID After Suit
A New Jersey spa must overhaul its policies to allow transgender individuals to use locker rooms that match their gender identities under the terms of a lawsuit settlement, after a transgender woman said she was denied access to the women’s facilities and asked if she had “boy parts,” court filings show. The discrimination lawsuit was filed by Alexandra Goebert, of Watertown, NY, in Bergen County Superior Court after she visited King Spa & Sauna on Commercial Avenue in Palisades Park on Aug.14, 2022. Goebert said she entered the spa as a paying customer and presented a valid driver’…
Deerfield-Sunderland, MA
Police & Fire
Hate Crime: Sunderland Liquor Store Beating Lands Local Men In State Prison, DA Says
A Franklin County judge sentenced a former Northampton man to state prison for his role in a violent 2024 hate crime at a Sunderland liquor store. Warren Martinez, 31, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including mayhem, assault and battery to intimidate based on gender identity and sexual orientation, and breaking and entering. Judge John Agostini sentenced him to five to 10 years in state prison. Also sentenced was 25-year-old Thomas Patnode, who admitted to two counts of assault and battery to intimidate and assault by means of a dangerous weapon. He received two and a half years in pri…
Leesburg, VA
Schools
Northern Virginia Schools Hit With ‘High-Risk’ Label In $50M Title IX Funding Fight: Feds
Five of the largest school districts in Northern Virginia have been hit with a major federal penalty after refusing to comply with Title IX, the US Department of Education announced. Alexandria City, Arlington, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County Public Schools have all been placed on “high-risk” and “reimbursement-only” status, meaning more than $50 million in federal funds can no longer flow directly to the districts. Instead, the schools must now pay expenses upfront and apply for reimbursement, federal officials said this week. The Department of Education sa…
Princeton, NJ
Sports
NJ Transgender Athlete Sues Princeton After Being Pulled From Race Minutes Before Start
A transgender RIT track and field athlete who registered to run in a meet hosted by Princeton University was pulled from the competition minutes before her race, according to a newly filed lawsuit. Rising senior Sadie Schreiner, 21, of Hillsborough, alleges she was barred from competing in the women’s 200-meter dash at the Larry Ellis Invitational on May 3, because of her gender identity, despite meeting the official time requirements and properly registering, according to the civil complaint filed in Mercer County Superior Court. “Princeton would not allow her to run solely because she was…
Fairfield, CT
Sports
Danica Patrick Weighs In On Simone Biles–Riley Gaines Trans Athlete Feud: “Woke Mind Virus”
A women's sports pioneer has weighed in on the debate over trans athletes following a heated online exchange between one of the United States' greatest Olympians and a former NCAA swimmer. Danica Patrick, a 43-year-old former IndyCar and NASCAR driver, responded Sunday, June 8, to gymnast Simone Biles, who stood up for a trans high school pitcher who helped lead their team to a championship in the Minnesota state softball finals. "Defending men in women’s sports is the woke mind virus and/or another issue that requires therapy. Either way, it is so irrational,” Patrick posted to Instagram o…
Hartford, CT
Business
Meta Drops Fact-Checking Program Ahead Of Trump's White House Return, Company Says
Meta is dismantling its third-party fact-checking program in the U.S. and aims to bring back political content as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, the company said. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the changes in a video statement on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, will replace its fact-checking program with a Community Notes system similar to the one implemented on X (formerly Twitter). Zuckerberg said the new system's goal is to reduce bias and restore free expression. "Fact-checkers have be…
Albany, NY
Politics
Election 2024: NY's Controversial Anti-Discrimination Amendment Decided By Voters
New York voters have made their voices heard on a controversial constitutional amendment aimed at expanding anti-discrimination protections. Proposal 1, dubbed the “Equal Rights Amendment,” was approved by voters. The "yes" votes were leading 62 to 28 percent with 34-percent of the vote counted as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, according to the state Board of Elections. It would amend the New York State Constitution to protect against unequal treatment based on the following: Ethnicity, national origin, age or disability Sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression Pregnanc…
Albany, NY
Politics
Election 2024: Here’s Closer Look At NY’s ‘Equal Rights Amendment' Prop 1
New York voters will decide on a whole lot more than just the next president and vice president this Election Day. Earlier Report: Here's When Early Voting Starts In NY, How To Find Polling Places Among the statewide issues being decided is Proposal 1, known as the “Equal Rights Amendment.” If approved, it would amend the New York State Constitution to protect against unequal treatment based on the following: Ethnicity, national origin, age or disability Sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression Pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes Reproductive healthcare and auton…
Lower Paxton, PA
News
Fired
! Girl Scout Counselors Using Male Pronouns With PA Camper: Officials
Multiple counselors were fired from their positions at a summer camp after they began calling a camper by male pronouns and attempted to keep this from the full-time Girl Scout staff, according to an official statement from the Central Pennsylvania council on Wednesday, July 24. The incident which led to the dismissal of temporary camp staff, most of whom are college students, happened at Camp Small Valley in Halifax, PA, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania explained. The incident was as follows, according to a statement sent to Daily Voice from GSHPA: "Recently, it came to …
Middletown, NJ
News
Asbury Park Restaurant Fined For Discriminating Against Nonbinary Customer, AG Says
A restaurant in Asbury Park was fined after it was accused of having a dress code that discriminated against a nonbinary person, officials said. Brando’s Citi Cucina agreed to several punishments, including a $5,000 payment to the customer, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a news release on Friday, June 28. The restaurant was found to have violated the state's Law Against Discrimination (LAD). Investigators said Brando's refused to serve the customer because staff believed they weren't following the restaurant's dress code, banning men from wearing sleeveless shirts while …
Massapequa, NY
News
Bill Banning Transgender Athletes Passed By Nassau County Lawmakers
The Nassau County Legislature passed a bill that prevents transgender women from competing in women’s sports on Long Island. At a meeting on Monday, June 24, lawmakers voted 12-6 to pass the law. Originally introduced by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s office, the bill would require sports teams to designate whether they are a female, male, or co-ed team and is aimed to prevent “biological males” from competing on women’s teams. Earlier Report: Bill Banning Transgender Athletes Advanced By Nassau County Lawmakers It echoes an executive order Blakeman originally introduce…
Paramus, NJ
Schools
Poll Findings Reveal How NJ Parents Feel About Gender Identity Classes In Schools
A new Monmouth University poll shows that a majority of parents are okay with their kids being taught gender identity, but only in high school. The poll, released Tuesday, Aug. 22, show that 64 percent of New Jersey parents approve of teaching students in grades 9 through 12 about the "range of ways people express their gender." Though when it comes to middle school, the number drops to to 45 percent and just 24 percent of Garden State parents approve of it being taught in elementary school grades. Forty-five percent of adults in the Garden State feel schools are "doing too muc…
Newtown, CT
News
Book Ban Fails: Board Of Ed In Newtown Votes To Keep Graphic Novels In Library
As Pride month begins, a board of education in Fairfield County has voted against removing two graphic novels containing themes of gender identity and sexuality from library shelves. The Newtown Board of Education voted to keep the novels "Flamer" by Mike Curato and "Blankets" by Craig Thompson on library shelves in the school district during their meeting on Thursday night, June 1. The vote came after two Republican board members, Janet Kuzma and Jennifer Larkin, resigned following a meeting on Tuesday, May 16 during which the two novels were discussed. During …
Lakewood, NJ
Schools
Jersey Shore Parents Rally Against Gender Identity Books In Elementary School
A group of parents plans a rally Wednesday at Little Egg Harbor's school board meeting regarding gender identify. They're opposed to using picture books to promote transgender ideology and gender identity in the elementary school, according to Pamela Kurt, one of the parents. Kurt says she has examples of 35 books from the local library to show the school board. "i believe in free speech. I don't believe in banning books," Kurt said. "But I care about what very young kids are being exposed to." The school district superintendent, Dr. Melissa McCooley, said all of the district's books mee…
Chappaqua, NY
Lifestyle
Americans 'Self Silencing' In Record Numbers, New Study Reveals: Here's What It Means
If you’ve ever found yourself hiding your true opinion just to avoid ruffling feathers, you’re not alone, according to a new study from the think tank Populace. Researchers wanted to find out how prevalent self-silencing, or preference falsification, is - defined as saying what you think others want to hear rather than what you truly believe. What they found is a tendency for people of all demographics to succumb to social pressures to have the “right” opinion when it comes to hot-button issues like abortion, mask wearing, and discussing gender identity in schools, despite their true feelin…
Albany, NY
Schools
SUNY To Officially Recognize Students' Chosen Names, Pronouns
The State University of New York (SUNY) will begin officially recognizing students’ chosen names and pronouns. It comes after the university’s Board of Trustees directed all 64 SUNY campuses to update their policies “to ensure that transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary students’ identities are fully reflected and represented in campus systems.” By the time classes begin in the Fall 2023 semester, campuses will have to ensure that all operational systems reflect a student’s chosen name and pronouns as long as it’s consistent with federal law, according to a SUNY statement. Tha…
Lower Paxton, PA
News
Transgender UPenn Swimmer Crushing Records Is Causing Outrage On Twitter
A University of Pennsylvania athlete who swam their way to victory as a man is not only winning as a woman but is breaking records do it. And Twitter is coming at her. Lia Thomas, 22, set new U.S. swimming records at the Zippy Invitational in Akron, Ohio over the weekend, according to the university. Thomas won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:41.93 on Saturday, according to the university. She went on to swim past her UPenn teammate, Anna Sofia Kalandaze, in the 1,650 freestyle in a record time of 15:59.71 beating her by 38 seconds, and finally she set another record in the 500 freestyle pus…
Jersey City, NJ
News
New Jersey Adds Gender 'X' Option For Drivers Licenses
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is adding an “X” gender option to drivers licenses and non-driver identification cards. Gender “X” will indicate a gender is unspecified, and it will be offered alongside the existing “M” (male) and “F” (female) gender options on licenses and IDs. This is offered not only to New Jersey residents who identify as non-binary, but for anyone who prefers that their gender not be specified on their license or ID. The MVC previously announced the ability to change the M/F gender designation on licenses and IDs in February 2020, following passage of the “B…
Fair Lawn-Glen Rock, NJ
News
Police Seize Glen Rock High School Senior For Racial, Gender Bias On Instagram, Zoom
Detectives were investigating racially biased Instagram posts by a Glen Rock High School student when the teenage bigot struck again, this time targeting another classmate over gender identity on Zoom, authorities said. Detectives were a month into their investigation of racial bias when administrators at the high school showed them “questionable comments” entered during a school Zoom session, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. The comment “appeared to target another student over their gender identity,” the chief said Monday. Using information provided by the teenage victims and the school’…
Elizabeth, NJ
Events
'What If My Child Is Transgender?' Free Workshop For Parents In Scotch Plains
A sociologist will be leading a talk for parents about transgender and LGBQT individuals, tackling issues of gender and sexual identity. Dr. Paula Rodriguez Rust will answer questions including the definition of LGBQT, what to do if a child's classmate is transgender and what to do if one's child identifies as transgender. The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Union County Vo-Tech Campus at the John H. Stamler Police Academy, 1776 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains. The talk is sponsored by the Union County Human Relations Commission. Admission and parking are both …
