<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Dallas Judge prevented Texas AG <keyword id="11972481" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ken-paxton" source="Orion">Ken Paxton</keyword> from intervening in a case involving trans healthcare. </li><li>The case involved a children's hospital in Dallas suing to provide care for trans youth. </li></ul>A judge prevented Attorney General Ken Paxton from further intervening in a case regarding healthcare for transgender youth after he attempted to reverse a <a href="https://courtsportal.dallascounty.org/DALLASPROD/DocumentViewer/Embedded/IUhz62h_NlExHGdBYI37cLkbry4LaN1clNrdwbUy7Bj7KGcziVVwn65vmsMJTgGoGtTfflYVI5rdPpTdHs6krA2?p=0">court order that allowed a hospital</a> in Texas to provide gender-affirming care for new patients.Dallas County Judge Melissa Bellan said on Friday that she could not find evidence that Paxton or the state of Texas had the authority to intervene on behalf of individuals in the case, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/17/us/transgender-youth-texas-attorney-general/index.html">CNN reported</a>.The decision comes after Bellan provided an injunction and restraining order allowing <a href="https://courtsportal.dallascounty.org/DALLASPROD/Home/WorkspaceMode?p=0#OtherEvents">Dr. Ximena Lopez</a> at Children's Medical Center in Dallas to continue providing gender-affirming health care for transgender youth in the state.Paxton's office argued that they should be allowed to bring experts to support a claim from Paxton that gender-affirming healthcare constitutes "child abuse," which he wrote about in a <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/ag-paxton-declares-so-called-sex-change-procedures-children-and-prescription-puberty-blockers-be">February opinion.</a>The state of Texas has clamped down on healthcare for transgender youth in recent months. In February, Texas Governor <keyword id="11906065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greg-abbott" source="Orion">Greg Abbott</keyword> issued a directive ordering the state's Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents and guardians who permitted children to receive gender-affirming care.On June 11, a judge <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-temporarily-blocked-from-investigating-families-of-trans-kids-2022-6">reinstated an injunction</a> on Abbott's directive, saying there was reason to believe plaintiffs would "suffer immediate and irreparable injury" if the law was enforced, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-greg-abbott-texas-lawsuits-child-welfare-7692c56aa008effbbefcac31ac677dc4">the AP reported</a>. Medical studies show that <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-gender-affirming-treatment-looks-like-for-trans-youth-2021-4">gender-affirming care</a> is linked to <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789423">lower rates of suicide and depression</a> among trans youth. In response to legislation targeting LGBTQ youth <a href="https://www.insider.com/over-half-of-us-states-tried-passing-anti-trans-bills-2021-3">across the country</a>, President Joe <keyword id="60973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="biden" source="Orion">Biden</keyword> signed an executive order Wednesday. The order would give states guidance on policies that would expand physical and mental healthcare for LGBTQ youth, according to a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/15/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-sign-historic-executive-order-advancing-lgbtqi-equality-during-pride-month/">White House fact sheet.</a>A representative for Paxton's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been removed from a case over gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth

<ul class="summary-list"><li>State Sen. <keyword id="13684492" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tom-barrett" source="Orion">Tom Barrett</keyword> used a fake text for "gender reassignment surgery" to ask for funds, the <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2022/04/21/sen-barrett-fundraising-ask-claims-your-child-is-scheduled-for-gender-reassignment-surgery/">Michigan Advance reported</a>.</li><li>It linked to a donation site accusing Biden of "forcing 5-year-olds to learn about gender reassignment surgeries."</li></ul><keyword id="11949172" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="michigan" source="Orion">Michigan</keyword> state senator and <keyword id="11917127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gop" source="Orion">GOP</keyword> congressional candidate Tom Barrett used a fake text campaign for "your child's gender reassignment surgery" as a bid to get supporters to donate to his campaign, the <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2022/04/21/sen-barrett-fundraising-ask-claims-your-child-is-scheduled-for-gender-reassignment-surgery/">Michigan Advance reported</a>. The text, stylized like a confirmation typically sent by doctor's offices for appointments, linked to a fundraising site."If you have any issues with this operation, please view the objectives of Biden's National Transgender Strategy here," the text read.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Zack Stanton (@zackstanton) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1517257979204149248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2022</a></blockquote>Screenshots obtained by the Michigan Advance showed a previous iteration of the text that prompted users to sign a petition that read: "If you would like to CANCEL this appointment because you do not believe in teaching young children about dangerous transgender ideologies, please sign your name NOW." The fundraising site linked to in the text said Biden is "forcing 5-year-olds to learn about gender reassignment surgeries, gender identities, and other radical ideas." It continues by calling such topics a "sick and twisted ideology." "Democrats are HELLBENT on destroying our faith, removing God from the center of our nation, and pushing transgender ideology on young children," a plea for donations reads.The site also shows a now-closed petition to remove "graphic transgender content" from school curricula.The focus on transgender issues falls in line with a pattern of GOP members across the county targeting LGBTQ people, including an <a href="https://www.insider.com/clinics-states-neighboring-alabama-preparing-to-see-more-trans-kids-2022-4">Alabama bill</a> that criminalizes doctors providing <a href="https://www.insider.com/alabama-governor-signs-anti-trangender-bills-into-law-2022-4">gender-affirming healthcare to children</a> and Florida's so-called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/advocates-criticize-floridas-new-guidance-for-transgender-healthcare-2022-4">"Don't Say Gay"</a> bill.Barrett is running for the Republican nomination in Michigan's 7th congressional district against Democratic Rep. <keyword id="13684493" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="elissa-slotkin" source="Orion">Elissa Slotkin</keyword>. Barrett and Slotkin did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

A Michigan lawmaker sent a misleading text confirming 'your child's gender reassignment surgery' to solicit donations

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9096091" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uswnt">USWNT</keyword> star <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/megan-rapinoe">Megan Rapinoe</a> slammed anti-trans bills in an interview with Insider.</li><li>In a House hearing, Rapinoe had a strong, quick response to Rep. Scott Franklin's transphobic questions.</li><li>Rapinoe vowed to "stand with my <keyword id="6516408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trans">trans</keyword> community and with all marginalized people."</li></ul>As dozens of states move to pass legislation that would ban transgender children from participating in girls' youth <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/megan-rapinoe">Megan Rapinoe</a> told Congress on Wednesday that she will "stand with my trans community and with all marginalized people."The US Women's National Team star attended the House Committee on Oversight and Reform's "Equal Pay Day" hearing, where she issued a strong rebuke to Rep. Scott Franklin, a Republican from Florida. Franklin drilled Rap ino with a transphobic line of questioning about "the potential impact" of allowing transgender people to participate in <keyword id="1739459" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Womens-Sports">women's sports</keyword>."As a member of the LGBTQ community, I firmly stand with the trans family and that whole community. And as someone who has played sports with someone who is trans, I can assure you as well, nothing is spontaneously combusting."Rapinoe was referring to <keyword id="242367" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Quinn">Quinn</keyword>, a Canada Women's National Team star who is Rapinoe's club teammate with the National Women's <keyword id="3071" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Soccer">Soccer</keyword> League's OL Reign. The 25-year-old Olympian came out as trans in a September 2020<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CE42Vt6Jje4/?utm_source=ig_embed"> Instagram post</a>.<div type="image" title="megan rapinoe quinn" height="1666" width="2222" msid="81708435" hostid="261"></div>"We do know, though, is that people are continuously marginalized by gender - we know that in equal pay, we know that in the workplace, we know that with LGBTQ," Rapinoe added. "So I think that we need to continue to fight for equality. We need to continue to protect people who have suffered from discrimination and inequality because of gender, and that really needs to be at the forefront."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-NowThis (@nowthisnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1374732816697679885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></blockquote>Rapinoe, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/megan-rapinoe-uswnt-visit-white-house-equal-pay-day-2021-3">also visited the White House</a> while in DC, has long been a vocal ally for fellow LGBTQ+ folks. The latest legislative attempts to prohibit transgender kids from partaking in girls' and women's sports, she told Insider, are "just a way to propagate hate and to continue to discriminate.""Every single person who wrote every single one of these bills - none of those people have been in a locker room," Rapinoe said while discussing her <a href="https://www.insider.com/megan-rapinoe-gender-norms-stereotypes-schmidts-deodorant-ad-2021-3">campaign with Schmidt's</a>, which is aimed at undermining "gender norms and stereotypes" in with cosmetics industry. "None of those people have played on a women's sports team.""I have," she added. "I've been in a locker room with a trans person."<div type="image" title="megan rapinoe sue bird.JPG" height="1874" width="2500" msid="81708437" hostid="261"></div>Rapinoe said that from her vantage point, Quinn is a great teammate and fantastic player. And when it comes to their gender identity in the locker room and on the field, she added, "nobody cares.""[Quinn is] there to do their job and to play a sport that they love and to be their full selves and to be accepted for that," Rapinoe said, then delivered a message for the lawmakers who drafted the proposed transphobic bills. "You're trying to speak on behalf of a lot of people that don't feel that way and don't feel threatened.""It's quite the opposite," Rapinoe added. "It's been actually really dope being on Quinn's team for the last couple of years and to see their transformation. To see someone just like living their full life the way that they want to, I always feel like is really inspiring and beautiful."<div type="image" title="quinn.JPG" height="1665" width="2220" msid="81708439" hostid="261"></div>Rapinoe said her experience as Quinn's teammate makes it even easier to debunk the notion that transgender people could pose a threat to women's sports. Now, she explained, she can "not only just use my platform to be an ally and someone who's going to speak out about it, but also to say I'm in the locker room with Quinn and I know Layshia [Clarendon] personally, so it's just BS."Clarendon, a basketball superstar who plays for the WNBA's New York Liberty, came out as trans <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CImivz2htO8/">via Instagram</a> in December 2020. Both Clarendon and Quinn are fantastic athletes, but neither dominates the competition in the way many politicians have warned could happen if trans athletes are permitted to play in women's leagues."It's just totally false hypotheticals of what could happen, when actually you have no idea what happens in that locker room," Rapinoe said. "You have no idea the effect that it's going to have on trans kids and trans people period, and just the damage and how destructive and how hateful that is.""You actually don't even know what you're talking about," Rapinoe added, again addressing the lawmakers behind these bills. "Do you even watch women's sports? Yeah, probably not."<div type="image" title="Megan Rapinoe" height="683" width="910" msid="81708441" hostid="261"></div>Despite Rapinoe's and other professional athletes' opposition to bills aimed at excluding transgender youth from athletics programs, more than half of states in the union currently have legislation in motion to "protect women's sports," as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/opinion/trans-athletes-womens-sports.html">former President Donald Trump recently put it</a>.<a href="https://www.aclu.org/legislation-affecting-lgbt-rights-across-country">According to the ACLU</a>, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia all have some form of these anti-trans bills on the docket.Rapinoe said that because "99.9% of people are not going on to play professional sports," the supposed threat of unfair competition from trans kids is completely illegitimate. "Ultimately sports is such a great outlet for kids to learn so much," she said. "So to ban people from that benefit just for the purpose of hate is totally ridiculous. Middle fingers to all these trans bills - it's just super harmful."

Megan Rapinoe slams legislation that aims to ban transgender kids from women's sports: 'Middle fingers to all these trans bills'

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/512fbdc669bedd6e17000011-977-733/coy-mathis.jpg?maxX=400" border="0" alt="Coy Mathis" width="400" /></div><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/109325804917581317593/MathisFamilyHighRes?authkey=Gv1sRgCLvKqvzg7Z-W2QE#slideshow/5849349597013406354">TLDEF</a></div>The parents of a 6-year-old transgendered girl have filed a complaint with the <keyword id="6359726" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Colorado">Colorado</keyword> Civil Rights Division after <a href="http://www.transgenderlegal.org/headline_show.php?id=395" target="_blank">an elementary school banned their daughter from using the girls' restroom</a>.
Male by birth, Coy Mathis was 18 months old when she started to express to her parents that she was a girl. What Kathryn and Jeremy Mathis first thought was just a phase escalated to anxiety and depression as Coy grew older and wanted to be "fixed," the <keyword id="6358953" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Transgender">Transgender</keyword> Legal Defense &amp; Education Firm, which is representing the Mathis family in the case.
After a psychologist confirmed that Coy was transgendered, her parents decided to let Coy live life as a girl. The Fountain-Fort Carson School District was initially accepting, and allowed Coy to be enrolled as a girl student at the Eagleside Elementary School in Fountain, Colorado, according to the TLDEF.
But in December 2012, Coy was told she would have to stop using the girls' bathroom and start going to the boys' bathroom or nurse's bathroom instead. Her parents — fearing their daughter would be singled out and bullied — began homeschooling Coy.
The Mathis family officially filed a complaint this past Tuesday on Coy's behalf. The TLDEF points out out that <a href="http://www.transgenderlegal.org/headline_show.php?id=396" target="_blank">the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act already prohibits this kind of treatment against transgender students in public schools</a>. 
Moreover, the <keyword id="6355470" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Law">law</keyword> also expressly covers bathroom rights, and says transgendered students should be allowed to use the facilities that they personally identify with, according to the TLDEF.
“We have five children and we love them all very much,” <a href="http://www.transgenderlegal.org/headline_show.php?id=395" target="_blank">Kathyrn Mathis said in a press statement</a>. “We want Coy to return to school to be with her teachers, her friends, and her siblings, but we are afraid to send her back until we know that the school is going to treat her fairly. She is still just six years old, and we do not want one of our daughter’s earliest experiences to be our community telling her she’s not good enough.”
The school district's attorney, W. Kelly Dude, responded with a statement (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/27/us/colorado-transgender-girl-school/index.html?hpt=hp_c1">via CNN</a>):
The district firmly believes it has acted reasonably and fairly with respect to this issue. However, the district believes the appropriate and proper forum for discussing the issues identified in the charge is through the Division of Civil Rights process. The district is preparing a response to the charge which it will submit to the division. Therefore, the district will not comment further on this matter out of respect for the process which the parents have initiated."

Colorado School Bans Trangender First Grader From Using Girls' Bathroom

<ul><li>The upper house of the Parliament today passed the <keyword id="6358953" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Transgender">Transgender</keyword> Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019. </li><li>The bill defines trangender as a person whose gender is not the one assigned at the time of birth. </li><li>It seeks a ‘certificate of identity’ that labels their gender as “transgender.” </li><li>The bill was introduced in the lower house of the parliament on July 19 and was passed in August 2019. </li></ul>The upper house of the Parliament today passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019. The bill was tabled in <keyword id="48510" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajya-Sabha">Rajya Sabha</keyword> on November 20, after which several members demanded to move the matter to a select parliamentary committee. The bill was introduced in the lower house of the Parliament on July 19 and was passed in August 2019. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019, which claims to protect the rights of transgenders and empower them has also been widely opposed by trans community. The LGBTQ community has been opposing the proposed legislation saying that the bill is violating individual rights. The bill defines trangender as a person whose gender is not the one assigned at the time of birth. It seeks a ‘certificate of identity’ that labels their gender as “transgender”. And if someone from the community seeks to change their gender to male of female, the administrative officer will check for the ‘correctness’ of the revised medical certificate. The bill, which includes trans-men and trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons with socio-cultural identities is in contrast with the Supreme Court’s judgement that granted protection rights to transgendered people — including self determination of gender and no mandatory medical certificate. Forced labour, any denial from use of public places, physical, sexual or emotional abuse have been listed as an <a href="https://www.prsindia.org/billtrack/transgender-persons-protection-rights-bill-2019">offence under the proposed bil</a>l. If challenged, the penalties include imprisonment of six months to two years, along with fine. The bill says that transgenders should not be discriminated against in terms of employment opportunities. However, it does not include reservations for the community either. India has nearly<a href="https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/mumbai-to-see-first-job-fair-to-hire-queer-and-diverse-employees-will-india-inc-bite-2195265.html"> 5%-10% queer employees</a> in the workforce. Of this, over half of them reported discrimination at work. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/here-is-a-list-of-major-bills-to-be-introduced-in-the-winter-session-of-parliament/articleshow/72110677.cms">Here is a list of major bills to be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/at-the-winter-parliament-session-india-intends-to-ban-commercial-surrogacy/articleshow/72120405.cms">India moves to regulate the thriving business of commercial surrogacy</a>

Transgenders want to identify their own gender but law now says they need a certificate

<ul><li> For years, talking about the queer community was a taboo in the Indian advertising industry. Today, while there have been some path-breaking campaigns in acknowledging the community and giving them a voice, a lot more still needs to be done.</li><li>To mark <keyword id="168821" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pride-Month">pride month</keyword>, we look back at some of the iconic advertisements that initiated an early conversation in our country, which were still a taboo back then and created a ripple effect by bringing to light some of the issues that LGBTQIA communities continue to face. </li></ul>The month of June is observed as Pride month all over the world, which is a movement that brings the entire LGBTQIA+ community together to spread the message of equality in all spheres of life, including the right to love. However, where are Indian brands? It has been 17 days since pride month began. Apart from the rainbow-coloured logos on social media, no brand has mustered the courage to normalise the whole spectrum and initiate a concrete conversation. Since many Indian brands have failed to give the community a voice through their campaigns, to make the queer community a part of their daily life conversation and step out of their comfort zones, we decided to look back at some of the iconic advertisements that were created by brands who dared to speak up and break some taboos. These ads created a much-needed ripple effect in our country and started a conversation around issues that the community goes through. They simply reminded the audience that they care about queer community’s existence by acknowledging and representing different kinds of humans -- conveying that India is stepping out of its closest. Here are a few of our favourites: Fastrack’s The Closet Way ahead of its time, Fastrack’s ad was quite special for India. It was the very first brand in India to show a lesbian couple. It encouraged the youth to come out of their closet of comfort and speak up, metaphorically. In this commercial, the doors of a cupboard open, and two young women walk out, adjusting their clothes and hair. “Come out of the closet”, urges the advertisement and ends with Fastrack’s now famous tagline, “Move On.” <div type="Youtube" id="fmk9D53G6F8" title="Fastrack - The Closet" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fmk9D53G6F8/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Anouk’s The Visit Myntra’s ad for its ethinic wear brand Anouk was probably one of the first ads in India that attempted to normalise different sexual preferences, without looking at them through a lens of judgement or for sake of tokenism. Created by Ogilvy India, this ad left you mesmerised by the beautiful portrayal of pure love that can happen between any two people. <div type="Youtube" id="Ef27m5ocK6Q" title="ANOUK, BOLD IS BEAUTIFUL - A Wonderful Video Titled &quot;THE VISIT&quot;" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ef27m5ocK6Q/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Vicks’ Touch of Care Normalising trans motherhood in India, Vicks initiated a conversation everyone else was afraid to have. It highlighted how motherhood goes beyond biological ties with transgender activist Gauri Sawant, who also runs an NGO called Sakhi Char Chowghi. It showcased her real life story of bringing up a girl. Conceptualised by Publicis Singapore for Procter &amp; Gamble, the video shows how Gayatri, at the age of 6, loses her biological mother, a sex worker, to HIV AIDS. It ends with Gayatri vowing to become a lawyer so that she can fight for equal human rights and build an equal environment for her foster mother. <div type="Youtube" id="7zeeVEKaDLM" title="Vicks - Generations of Care #TouchOfCare" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7zeeVEKaDLM/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Brooke Bond Label’s 6 Pack Band The 6 Pack Band was a story of six transgender singers from Hijra community, which is commonly ignored by most and misunderstood by all. However, this song concentrated on what they rejoice about being queer and trangenders instead. It was an initiative created and driven by Y-Films, the youth wing of Yash Raj Films, to help further the cause of gender equality in India. This campaign also brought home the coveted Grand Prix in the Glass Lion category at Cannes. <div type="Youtube" id="blvOBnSRfVc" title="Hum Hain Happy - 6 Pack Band" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/blvOBnSRfVc/mqdefault.jpg"></div> The Times of India's Out and Proud On September 6, 2018 the Supreme Court of India decriminalised section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. With this judgment, the gay community got a legal nod to sexual rights. While the laws have changed for the better, we still witness negative attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ people. The Times of India in collaboration with FCB India was one of the large-scale campaigns that was launched to celebrate this historic milestone. Its campaign aimed to empower the members of the queer community to live a dignified life with acceptance and pride. It lent a medium to a community whose voice was buried for generations. It brought to light the discrimiation they face every day and reminded them how they always ‘had a place in our hearts.’ <div type="Youtube" id="-p8DFP1Tn1s" title="Times Out &amp; Proud" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-p8DFP1Tn1s/mqdefault.jpg"></div> OkCupid’s #LoveAtFirstPride Another brand that celebrated striking down of article 377 in 2018, OkCupid, digital campaign #LoveAtFirstPride acknowledged love beyond binary identities. The idea behind the campaign was to cherish the freedom for all gender identities and this has been captured in the video with the LGBTQ community answering questions like ‘How much would you reveal about yourself on a first date? ,‘What are your views on moving on with your partner?’ and ‘What are your thoughts on PDA?’. The campaign was launched in the middle of the pride month and in less than a week, it received an overwhelming support of over a million individuals spread across platforms. The campaign is aimed at spreading the message of equal representation of different sexual orientations. <div type="Youtube" id="IwDW6x0bezs" title="OkCupid’s #LoveAtFirstPride is a Shout Out to Every First Stride Taken With Pride" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IwDW6x0bezs/mqdefault.jpg"></div> While all these ads revolutionised the industry in their own ways, legacy brands still shy away from including LGBTQIA+ community in their functional ads or an everyday sales ad. ‘Sexuality’ is still used as a plot twist in ads when we should be moving beyond tokenism and to normalise it further, we need to start including them next to a cis gender couple.

Pride Month: Campaigns that started conversations and sparked change in India

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:401px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51377bb36bb3f7f242000002-549-411/trojan-condoms-1.png?maxX=401&amp;maxY=300" border="0" alt="trojan condoms" width="401" height="300" /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/egansnow/123489233/">egan snow / Flickr</a></div>If a New York <keyword id="11098" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="police">police</keyword> officer thinks your skirt is too short and you happen to be carrying <keyword id="27993" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="condoms">condoms</keyword>, that's reportedly enough evidence to arrest you.
Molly Crabapple at Vice <a href="http://www.vice.com/read/new-york-cops-will-arrest-you-for-carrying-condoms?utm_source=vicefbus" target="_blank">reports</a> on a <a href="http://sexworkersproject.org/downloads/2012/20120417-public-health-crisis.pdf" target="_blank">study</a> released last year by the <a href="http://www.sexworkersproject.org/" target="_blank">Sex Workers Project</a> and the PROS Network. It reveals shocking stories of police stopping, searching, and hauling away women who are minorities or transgender and happen to have condoms in their purses.
Police claim they are discouraging <keyword id="56655" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="prostitution">prostitution</keyword> by confiscating women's condoms or cuffing women who carry them. But half of the people whose condoms were taken away still had to engage in sex work later that night without a condom, according to SWP's study.
And a growing number of sex workers say they are afraid to carry condoms because it's likely to get them arrested. Forty six percent told PROS they hadn't carried condoms while working because they feared police harassment, and the number rose to 75 percent among trangender prostitutes. 
“Why is the city giving me condoms when I can’t carry them without going to jail?” one woman asked <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajxFEnenxN8&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Human Rights Watch</a>, which interviewed 200 sex workers across the country. 
While few of 2,000 people arrested every year for prostitution end up in court, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/nyregion/in-new-york-city-giving-away-and-taking-away-condoms.html" target="_blank">judges are skeptical</a> of police offering condoms as evidence, the New York Times reported. 
“I find no probative value at all in finding a condom,” Judge Richard M. Weinberg of Manhattan Criminal Court told the Times. “In the age of AIDS and H.I.V., if people are sexually active at a certain age, and they are not walking around with condoms, they are fools.”

You Searched For "trangender rights" and got 7 results

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been removed from a case over gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth

Hannah Getahun

A Michigan lawmaker sent a misleading text confirming 'your child's gender reassignment surgery' to solicit donations

Hannah Getahun

Megan Rapinoe slams legislation that aims to ban transgender kids from women's sports: 'Middle fingers to all these trans bills'

Meredith Cash

Colorado School Bans Trangender First Grader From Using Girls' Bathroom

Megan Willett

Transgenders want to identify their own gender but law now says they need a certificate

Prerna Sindwani

Pride Month: Campaigns that started conversations and sparked change in India

Karuna Sharma

Women In New York Are Getting Arrested For Carrying Condoms

Rebecca Baird-Remba