The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Meredith Marks is ready to spill some teaor at least brace for the cup to tip over.Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the 2025 Las Culturistas Culture Awards, Marks teased whats to come in the upcoming sixth season of the hit Bravo franchise. Her headline takeaway? Expect lies, confusion, and very good reality TV.It will be an interesting season to see unfold, Marks said at the star-studded event, held at The Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on July 17. Basically, you know, a lot of lies about me [were shared], she revealed. So I dont really know whats happening. To be honest, Im a little confused.For longtime fans of RHOSLC, Marks on-camera composure and signature chill demeanor are trademarks. But in this season, she admits, things got more chaotic than usualeven for her.I dont, quite frankly, understand 90% of it myself, Marks said with a dry laugh. So its hard to tell you whats coming. There are a lot of lies about methat much I do know.Season Six: Drama, Shakeups, and Shifting DynamicsSeason six of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable yet. Although Bravo has yet to announce an official premiere date, fans already know the stakes are high. From shifting alliances to unresolved tension among cast members, the new season promises to up the ante.Marks castmate Lisa Barlow also spoke to PEOPLE at the event, where she echoed the sentiment that the show is entering a new, unfamiliar phase.Its a crazy season, Barlow said. It feels so different. For some of the new girls, I dont think they get how different the cast and the show has been in the past.Barlow, who has often found herself in the eye of the RHOSLC storm, noted that the current energy on set felt weird, like good weird.Its different for us, and I think itll feel very different to the audience too, she added. But dont worryits still dramatic. Some of them need to chill.New Faces, Old HabitsAmong the cast this season is Bronwyn Newport, who is returning for her second season. While the seasoned Housewives have their share of drama, Newport hinted that filming this year had its lighter moments as well.The show is more fun for us to film than it sometimes looks when you watch it, Newport said.Meanwhile, RHOSLC original Heather Gay was also in attendance and affirmed that, as always, the Salt Lake City cast brought their A-game.Listen, Salt Lake City always brings it, said Gay, 51, author of Bad Mormon. I will say that we do shine in confined spaces, and we find ourselves in more than just a sprinter van this season.Those who remember the now-infamous van fights from earlier seasons know exactly what shes talking about.Meredith Marks Marriage Still Going StrongOutside of the on-screen feuds and swirling rumors, Marks shared a bit of positive personal news in another recent interview: her marriage to husband Seth Marks is better than ever.Our relationship is stronger now than its ever been, she said. The couple has weathered past turbulence both on and off camera but appear to be in a healthy, stable chapter of their marriage.Marks, who has long been open about her journey with mental health, grief, and family dynamics on the show, has earned respect from fans for keeping it realeven when that real is messy.A Cultural Moment for Bravo FansThe Las Culturistas Culture Awards, where the RHOSLC cast made their red carpet statements, was more than just a glam gathering. Hosted by comedians Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, the event honors standout moments across film, music, TV, and pop culture.Along with Marks, Barlow, Gay, and Newport, other Bravolebrities including Angie Katsanevas, Britani Bateman, and Mary Cosby also made appearances, rubbing shoulders with executive producer Andy Cohen.The appearance of so many RHOSLC cast members fueled further fan speculation about where alliances lie this seasonespecially after a previous season that saw major shifts in group dynamics, particularly following the exit of former cast member Jen Shah.The sixth season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City doesnt yet have a confirmed airdate, but Bravo has announced that the Las Culturistas Culture Awards will air on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 9 p.m. ET. The awards show will also be available for streaming the next day on Peacock.If Marks comments are any indication, viewers should brace themselves for a season thats chaotic, possibly confusing, and filled with plenty of explosive revelations.Crazy might be an understatement, but in the world of Housewives, thats often the highest praise.Source

Sabrina Carpenter didnt just headline Lollapalooza, she turned it into a full-blown variety show, complete with surprise guests, disco nostalgia, and flirtatious banter. On Sunday night, the pop star closed out the T-Mobile Stage in Chicago with a high-energy set that kept fans guessing, and dancing, until the very end.Earth, Wind & SabrinaCarpenter stunned the crowd by inviting R&B legends Earth, Wind & Fire to the stage mid-set. As the opening notes of Lets Groove played, she addressed the audience in a sparkling pink jumpsuit, declaring, Why not bring out my friends from Chicago? Cue the screams as the legendary band appeared and launched into the 1981 hit.The collaboration didnt stop there. Fans were treated to a lively rendition of September, complete with bright brass and infectious energy. I even joined in on the sing along as they started chant the iconic lyrics aloud! Im gonna join the band, guys! Carpenter quipped, clearly relishing the moment.While the pairing might have seemed unexpected on paper, the throwback vibe meshed seamlessly with her whole stage production, which leaned into retro pop charm and old-school television aesthetics.Arresting Visuals and TWICE the FlirtingDuring her set, Carpenter continued a fan-favorite tradition from her Short n Sweet Tour: fake-arresting beautiful audience members before launching into her song Juno. This time, the offenders were none other than Momo, Jihyo, and Sana from the K-pop group TWICE.Damn, we have some beautiful people in this audience tonight, she said as cameras zoomed in on the trio. I had to look not once, but twice. She then playfully asked if they were single and proposed marriage, complete with mock handcuffs.Fans online quickly latched onto the moment, with videos of the interaction spreading across social media. For those in the crowd, it was another unexpected twist in an already packed set.A Sweet Goodbye (For Now)Carpenters Lolla appearance marked a celebratory chapter in whats already been a banner year. Following a No. 1 album (Short n Sweet), a chart-topping single (Please Please Please), and two Grammy wins, she brought that momentum to Grant Park with a energy-packed performance that ended the weekend with electricity running through their veins.Before exiting the stage, Carpenter teased her upcoming album Mans Best Friend, set to drop August 29, with a video flashing a tracklist preview. No song titles were confirmed, but based on the nights surprises, fans can expect a project that refuses to play it safe.From disco icons to K-pop queens, Carpenters Lollapalooza set proved one thing: she knows how to command a stage and leave fans wanting more.Source

If youve been craving something queer, chaotic, and completely off the rails, The Hunting Wives is here to fill the void. Netflixs newest southern-fried thriller serves up an intoxicating blend of lesbian yearning, murder mystery, marital betrayal, and conservative hypocrisyall set against the lush, shotgun-wielding backdrop of East Texas.This isnt your usual queer drama. Its sapphic, scandalous, and soaked in every wild choice imaginable. Its Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Liesif the cast were hornier, higher, and way less emotionally stable.Welcome to Maple Grove, Where the Real Housewives Hide the BodiesAt the center of this gloriously unhinged story is Sophie ONeil, played by Brittany Snow, a prim and proper Boston transplant who moves to Maple Grove, Texas, with her husband and young son. Her life is Pinterest-perfect on the surfaceuntil she meets Margo Banks, played with magnetic chaos by Malin Akerman.Margo is the queen bee of a group of wealthy suburban wives who call themselves, fittingly, The Hunting Wives. These arent your typical PTA moms. They drink whiskey straight, fire rifles in designer boots, and bed whomever they wantoften each other.Katie Lowes, Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman in The Hunting Wives. Photo: NetflixSophie is quickly lured into Margos world of powder-pink gloss and powder-keg secrets. Within episodes, shes caught in a dizzying spiral of secret parties, late-night rendezvous, sexual awakening, and, of course, a dead teenage girl in the woods.Oh yeahtheres a murder, and Sophies the main suspect. But thats almost secondary to the real drama: the ever-thickening sexual tension between her and Margo.The Gay Subtext Is Practically ScreamingFrom the first moment Margo lays eyes on Sophie, its game over. The chemistry is immediate, ridiculous, and undeniably sapphic. One minute, Margo is asking Sophie for a pad in her bathroom while undressing in front of her for no reason. The next, shes spooning her on a shooting range while breathily whispering instructions on how to fire a shotgun. Subtle? Not even close. Delicious? Absolutely.Malin Akerman, left, and Brittany Snow in The Hunting Wives. Photo: NetflixThe show never uses labelsno one says the words lesbian or bisexualbut the desire is loud and clear. Margo, married to a Republican power player running for Governor, has a string of affairs with women behind closed doors. Sophie, meanwhile, is visibly rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself, and her marriage, every time Margos within arms reach.The entire show plays like a fever dream of suppressed desire. Passionate hotel room encounters. Jealous glares at backyard barbecues. Tearful confessions in the dark. Its not subtle. And thats the point. The Hunting Wives isnt trying to be nuancedits a full-throttle, lipstick-smudged melodrama with its foot on the gas and no plans to slow down.So Many Sins, So Few SundaysWhile The Hunting Wives goes heavy on the lesbian drama, it also skewers the hypocrisy of small-town Southern life. These characters are drenched in wealth and religious conservatism by day, but by night theyre chasing threesomes, popping pills, and plotting cover-ups like its a sport.Malin Akerman, left, and Dermot Mulroney as Jed Banks in The Hunting Wives. Photo: NetflixTheres something gleefully chaotic about watching supposed moral pillars unravel in backyards and motels, all while trying to maintain the illusion of wholesome perfection. Jed, Margos husband, is a prime examplea churchgoing, gun-toting political hopeful whos way more concerned about his image than the reality of his marriage.And dont worryif you think The Hunting Wives might let things cool down after a few episodes, think again. The chaos only ramps up. Theres an attempted kidnapping, a stripper-turned-private-eye, and more twists than a corkscrew. And somehow, it all works. Or at least, it doesnt matter that it doesnt workbecause its impossible to look away.Its Queer, Its Camp, and Its Completely UnrestrainedLets be honest: this show is not subtle, and its not trying to be. The camera lingers, the music swells, and the acting is served hot with a side of ridiculous. Its campy, messy, and borderline feral in the best way possible.What makes The Hunting Wives stand out, though, is how rare this kind of story still is. Queer womenespecially in rural, conservative settingsrarely get this much screen time, this much longing, this much space to be complicated, impulsive, and self-destructive. Its not perfect representation, but its something. And sometimes, thats enough.And while some critics are side-eyeing the show for being unrealistic or too over the top, thats kind of the whole point. We want the drama. We want the fantasy. We want the forbidden love story, the scandal, the explosive secrets that unravel over tequila shots and tearful glances. Weve had enough realismwere overdue for a good gay soap opera.The Hunting Wives is one part erotic thriller, one part pulpy whodunit, and one part queer awakeningwith a whole lot of vodka and loaded guns thrown in. It doesnt care if it offends. It doesnt care if it makes sense. It just is. And in a TV landscape full of restraint and subtlety, thats something to celebrate.Will it make some viewers uncomfortable? Probably. Will it become a guilty pleasure for thousands of queer women across America? Almost definitely.Its not prestige TVbut who needs prestige when you have powdered sugar lies, lakeside makeouts, and gun-toting girl gangs?Lets be real: if this show inspires even one church-going Texas housewife to take a second look at her best friend over mimosas, it has done the Lords sapphic work.Source

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Mariah Carey lit up the stage at Brighton Pride 2025 with a performance as dazzling as it was heartfelt, offering not only hit songs but a bold show of allyship to the LGBTQ+ community.The pop icon and longtime supporter of queer rights delivered a spectacular headlining set on Saturday, August 2, during Pride in the Park at Preston Park. Fans from across the UKand around the globegathered in droves to watch the music legend perform a curated mix of her greatest hits, emotional ballads, and prideful statements.Careys appearance marked her long-awaited debut at Brighton Pride, after her originally scheduled performance in 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But if there was ever a way to make up for lost time, this was it.Making a Statement: Fashion with PurposeWhen the Grammy-winning vocalist took to the stage, all eyes were on her shimmering mini dress in the hues of the transgender Pride flagbaby blue, soft pink, and white. The dazzling ensemble, covered in rhinestones, immediately sent a clear message of solidarity and support for trans people.Adding to her powerful look, Carey wore a custom-designed pink bomber jacket bearing the words Protect The Dolls spelled out in sparkling rhinestones across the back. The phrase, coined by fashion designer Conner Ives, has become a rallying cry for protecting and uplifting transgender womenaffectionately referred to as the dollsin an increasingly hostile political climate.Earlier this year, the phrase gained viral traction after being sported by celebrities such as Pedro Pascal, Tilda Swinton, and Troye Sivan. Ives, who created the campaign as a form of creative resistance, has raised thousands for transgender charities through the sale of these garments.For Carey, whos long embraced her LGBTQ+ fan base, the jacket was more than just a fashion statementit was a symbol of unwavering support.A Message From the HeartMidway through her 90-minute set, Carey took a moment to speak directly to the crowd, acknowledging the deep and enduring relationship she shares with her LGBTQ+ fans.Youve been here for me for so long, supported me through good times and bad, she said, before launching into an emotional rendition of her 1993 chart-topper Hero. I just wanted you to knowIll always be there for you.The words sparked roars of approval from the audience, many of whom waved rainbow flags, cheered, and sang along through tears. On social media, fans praised the singers speech as genuine, goosebump-inducing, and a moment for the history books.Carey continued the lovefest by performing hits spanning her storied 35-year career, including fan favorites like Fantasy, Touch My Body, Obsessed, and of course, We Belong Together. Each track brought its own wave of nostalgia, joy, and pride.Showing Love Beyond the StageShortly after the show, Carey took to social media to thank the LGBTQ+ community once again, sharing a heartfelt message with her millions of followers.A special heartfelt thank you to the LGBTQ+ community for your ongoing support, she wrote. I will always be there for you.Her message quickly racked up tens of thousands of likes, with fans around the world expressing gratitude for her continued advocacy and love.A Long-Awaited MomentCareys Brighton Pride appearance was five years in the making. Originally scheduled to headline in 2020, her performance was postponed due to the global pandemic. This years show was widely considered one of the most highly anticipated in the events historyand for many fans, it was well worth the wait.Ive waited half a decade for this moment, said Jake, a fan from Manchester who traveled to Brighton just to see her. She didnt just delivershe made us feel seen, loved, and celebrated.Queuing Controversy Casts a ShadowDespite the high-energy performance and emotional highs, the event was not without its logistical hiccups. Attendees reported significant delays and overcrowding at the entrance to Preston Park, with some describing the experience as chaotic, overwhelming, and even traumatic.Social media was quickly flooded with posts from frustrated festivalgoers who claimed they waited up to three hours to enter the venue. Some users shared images of the long lines snaking through the streets, while others called out organizers for a lack of communication and crowd control.In response, Brighton Pride organizers issued a public apology late Saturday evening.We are very sorry for the delays to entry to Pride on the Park and Pride Street Party on Saturday, and apologize for the longer-than-expected wait times, the statement read. We thank everyone for their patience on such a busy day and are working to make improvements.By Sunday, adjustments were made to streamline entry, and many attendees noted a noticeable difference.It was a million times better today, one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Shame about yesterday, but glad they listened and acted quickly.A Pride to RememberDespite the rocky start, Mariah Careys headlining set will undoubtedly be remembered as a highlight of Brighton Prides 2025 celebration. Her blend of musical brilliance and meaningful advocacy created a space where queer joy, love, and resilience could truly shine.From a glittering dress in trans colors to a powerful message of allyship, Carey didnt just performshe showed up. Loud, proud, and unapologetically in support of the LGBTQ+ community.And if her words are anything to go by, shes not going anywhere.Source

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by Sawyer Loftus, Bangor Daily News This article was produced for ProPublicas Local Reporting Network in partnership with the Bangor Daily News. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. When Jasmin Belanger agreed to a plan to pay $750 in back rent, she had no idea how the decision would haunt her.It wasnt until 10 months later, while apartment hunting to distance herself from an ex-boyfriend she said had abused her, that she discovered an eviction on her record. She hadnt ever been ordered to move out, having paid her back rent on schedule. But it turned out that the 2023 deal she made in court with her landlord to help her avoid eviction created a paper record that made it look like she had been evicted. That black mark kept her from finding a new place to live.Belangers landlord was the Bangor public housing authority, which operates apartments for low-income residents. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development strongly encourages public housing authorities to offer so-called repayment agreements to tenants who have fallen behind on rent in order to help them stay in their homes. It recommends that authorities reach these deals before cases reach eviction court.But housing authorities have flexibility as to how to design and enforce such agreements. And the way these second-chance opportunities are executed in some parts of Maine verbally in eviction courts with little judicial oversight has come back to harm even tenants who meet every term of their deals.Thats because judges here dont pause eviction cases even when tenants and housing authorities reach agreements. In fact, those judges often grant landlords possession of properties at the time that repayment deals are made expediting the process of kicking out tenants who violate the agreements. Some states have taken steps to prevent this, requiring landlords to return to court to evict tenants who dont fulfill the terms of their repayment plans. Housing authorities also could choose to pause or close eviction cases if repayment agreements are made in court, but they rarely do so in Maine, said Erica Veazey, an attorney with Pine Tree Legal Assistance, a legal aid group based in Portland that represents low-income tenants throughout the state.Most housing authorities in Maine, including Bangors, told the Bangor Daily News and ProPublica that they follow HUDs guidance and try to reach agreements with tenants outside of courts. But court records show thats not always true in Bangor, the states second-largest housing authority. There, 54 tenants had repayment agreements made in court, according to the newsrooms examination of eviction filings between 2019 and 2024. All 54 tenants ended up with eviction judgments in court records, including those who may have repaid their debts. (If a repayment agreement was made outside of court, it would not appear in any official record.)Maines court system is one of the last in the country to rely on paper records, making a holistic accounting of such ghost evictions difficult. But the Bangor cases show for the first time how these repayment agreements can backfire for tenants against the intent of the HUD guidance.Presented with these findings, Mike Myatt, executive director of Bangors housing authority, said he did not know public housing residents would automatically end up with evictions on their records if they entered into repayment agreements in court.I dont quite understand or know how those processes may be changed, Myatt said, but we would certainly lead an effort or be part of an effort that would change those rules. Mike Myatt, executive director of Bangors housing authority. He said he did not know that public housing residents would automatically end up with evictions on their records if they entered into repayment agreements in court. (Linda Coan OKresik/BDN) HUD, during President Donald Trumps first term, began urging housing authorities to reach repayment agreements before taking tenants to eviction court in July 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. In January, just before President Joe Biden left office, the agency reemphasized that guidance as part of new safeguards for public housing tenants; that doesnt include a recommendation about whether evictions should be included on tenants records as part of such deals.HUDs intent seems pretty clear: Eviction filing should be a last resort for housing authorities and not essentially a way to strong-arm tenants into agreeing to whatever terms you want to put them under, said Hannah Adams, a senior attorney at the National Housing Law Project, a nonprofit legal advocacy center for low-income tenants and homeowners. She practices in Louisiana, where judges regularly sign off on repayment agreements without entering an eviction judgment. Of the more than three dozen tenants contacted by the Bangor Daily News and ProPublica, only Belanger agreed to publicly share her experience about the consequences of having an eviction on her record.An eviction, even one that never actually happened, can haunt a persons financial record for years, visible to lenders and prospective landlords and hurting opportunities to obtain credit or rent a home, Adams said.Asked to comment on a range of questions, including the effect of housing authorities deviating from federal guidance, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett issued a statement saying the Trump administration is reviewing all rules finalized during the last administration.Many artificially raised the cost of housing and administration of HUD programs, Lovett said. HUD is looking into this specific rule and considering necessary options to revise or remove this burden.The agency did not respond to follow-up questions about whether or how it would revise the guidance about repayment agreements.Perils of Court-Based DealsBelanger said she fell behind on her rent in 2023 because she was paying to stay at a hotel to live away from her ex. She had also lost income because she was no longer showing up regularly to her cosmetology job due to the stress.An eviction notice delivered to her door in May 2023 prompted her to meet with a financial counselor at the Bangor housing authority. The counselor advised her to seek a repayment plan in order to remain in her apartment and avoid eviction court, Belanger said. But the housing authority initially refused, telling her that she could only get a repayment plan in court, according to a text message from a housing authority representative to Belanger. The text message appears to contradict Myatts characterization of his agencys standard practice.Myatt would not explain why Belanger was not allowed to enter into an agreement before court, saying he could not speak about individual eviction cases even with Belangers permission.Every eviction case is unique and has different circumstances, he said. We go above and beyond to help people stay in their housing.When her court date arrived two months later in July, Belanger said the process moved quickly. The judge called her name, and she was ushered to a conference room off the courthouse hallway where the housing authoritys attorney, Joseph Bethony, verbally offered her a deal: She could remain in her apartment if she paid her back rent. She said he never mentioned anything about an eviction going on her record. Bethony declined to comment, referring the Bangor Daily News and ProPublica to Myatt. There is no guidance on what housing authority attorneys are supposed to tell tenants when making repayment agreements, Myatt said.Our goal is to keep families housed and collect the very important rent we need to pay our expenses, Myatt said. Our counsel works with everyone to accomplish that goal.Belanger, who did not have an attorney, said she agreed to the repayment plan without seeing it in writing. Maine judges typically do not review repayment agreements made in eviction court between housing authorities and tenants. (Linda Coan OKresik/BDN) She returned to the courtroom, where a judge asked if she had reached an agreement with the housing authority. She responded yes and the hearing ended, Belanger said. She believed the deal had been simple: Pay what she owed, make the payments on time and the housing authority would let her stay.The repayment agreements are drawn up by attorneys for the housing authority and are not typically reviewed by judges, according to Barbara Cardone, a spokesperson for the Maine Judicial Branch. Cardone said the courts authority in eviction cases is limited to determining whether the landlord can take possession of the property.The housing authority said it does not give tenants the agreements to sign in court. After the hearing, the agency sends a letter to the tenant outlining the repayment agreement and terms of the court ruling. Myatt said he does not review the agreements.The copy of the agreement that Belanger eventually received was dated seven days after the court hearing and was signed by Bethony but not Belanger, according to the document reviewed by the Bangor Daily News and ProPublica. The one-page document said Belanger had agreed that the judge ruled in favor of the housing authority, which would have the power to immediately evict her if she does not pay her rent and back rent on time over the next year.She would not understand the implications until March 2024, while trying to move away from her ex, when a prospective landlord informed her she would not get the apartment because an eviction judgment had been entered against her in court. Belanger even had a reference letter from the housing authority saying that she had fulfilled her repayment agreement and her previous struggles paying rent were due to the monies she has had to spend staying away from her apartment to be safe, according to an email reviewed by the Bangor Daily News and ProPublica.I had paid off all of my debt, Belanger said in an interview. I would have fought this if I had known this was a consequence.Myatt, head of the Bangor housing authority, said he trains his staff to use court-based agreements as a last resort. He said tenants should not be punished with eviction records if theyve fulfilled their agreements.If the obligations are met, he said, the eviction should be lifted. There is currently no way to expunge an eviction record in Maine. A housing complex managed by the Bangor public housing authority. It is the states second-largest housing authority. (Linda Coan OKresik/BDN) Unlike in Maine, other places across the country have set up more guardrails around repayment agreements and evictions. Massachusetts requires all repayment agreements made in court to be in writing and approved by judicial officials. In addition, landlords cant automatically evict tenants who dont abide by their agreements; they must return to court to prove tenants did not uphold their side of the deals before obtaining enforceable eviction orders.In SeaTac, a Seattle suburb, local ordinances require eviction proceedings to stop in court if a tenant and landlord agree to a repayment agreement, so tenants do not wind up with evictions on their records. In Portland, Oregon, the public housing authority allows residents to sign repayment agreements at any point before eviction hearings.Nicole Summers, an associate professor at Georgetown Law who has extensively studied eviction settlements, refers to repayment agreements as civil probation. Thats because these agreements often include rules and conditions governing tenants behavior well beyond paying off back rent.In Maine, Veazey said that under some agreements, violating public housing rules by failing to mow your lawn or smoking too close to the building can lead to a tenants forced removal without having to return to court for an eviction order.In Presque Isle, the housing authority gave a public housing resident 48 hours to pack up and leave after she missed a rent payment. The woman, featured in a story by the Bangor Daily News and ProPublica in December, was homeless for three years after violating the repayment plan she had made in court. When there is no repayment agreement in place, landlords normally must provide tenants 30 days notice for most lease violations before filing eviction cases in court.Belangers agreement in Bangor featured a similar trigger for eviction. She wasnt just required to pay what she owed, she also had to make future rent payments on time for 12 months.In the two years since Belanger agreed to the repayment deal in court, she said she has felt trapped.Despite a positive reference from the Bangor housing authoritys director of property management, landlord after landlord rejected her rental application because of the eviction. It took the single mother of a toddler nine months to get into another apartment far away from her ex, who was out on bail after being arrested for allegedly beating and threatening to kill her. (He was later found not guilty after a trial.)Belanger said shes afraid to move again because the paper eviction hasnt gone away.Im probably still going to have this hassle coming along with me wherever I go. This story was supported in part by a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism. Mariam Elba of ProPublica and Christina Wallace contributed research.

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Design by Sam Donndelinger. Photo: Screenshot/American Heritage GirlsSubscribe nowGrowing up, Kenzie remembers dragging her feet as her mom sent her to American Heritage Girls (AHG) programs.I describe it as Girl Scouts but indoctrination, says Kenzie, a 20-year-old dance major from Oklahoma. Ever since I was little, I always knew I was queer; different from the people around me. [In the eyes of AHG staff] it felt wrong to be feminine, but also wrong to be masculine.AHG and Trail Life USAa similar organization for boyshave troops in all 50 states and more than 110,000 members. They teach kids that homosexuality is sinful and that anything outside the gender binary is wrong. The messaging is often provided by anti-LGBTQ hate groups, like Focus on the Family, which still promotes so-called conversion therapy.AHG and Trail Life's fixation on sexual immorality reinforces a theology that punishes non-heterosexual, non-monogamous, non-cis lives, says Fernando Salinas-Quiroz, an assistant professor at Tufts University who specializes in child study and human development.LGBTQ-exclusive policies dont just harm the kids they shut outthey send a loud, damaging message to the kids inside, too, they say. Its awful. But more than that, its strategic. These policies are not accidentsthey are deliberate projects to maintain a binary, heteronormative, Christian nationalist order.Subscribe nowHow It StartedAHG and Trail Life were created in response to the Boy and Girl Scouts' increasing acceptance of LGBTQ kids.In 1991, the Girl Scouts affirmed lesbians could join, stating that they respect the values and beliefs of [their] members. Shortly after, they began allowing members to substitute the word God in the Girl Scout Promise in an effort to be inclusive of all religions.These changes were too much for Patti Garibay, a devout conservative Christian who, in 1995, founded AHG as a Christian alternative.Almost 20 years later, in 2013, AHG leadership helped launch Trail Life USA, the conservative Christian alternative to the Boy Scouts which was created after the organization announced that they would allow openly gay members.John Stemberger, who was chairman of the board at Trail Life when it was founded, said in a 2024 interview of the Boy Scouts decision to allow gay members that theyre going to allow an openly gay boy to decide who hes gonna unilaterally sleep with. This absolutely creates a radical increase of boy-on-boy contact.John Stemberger discusses the Boy Scouts inclusion of gay youth.Salinas-Quiroz thinks the Christian hypersexualization of kids is concerning. Suggesting that a gay boy choosing a tentmate is a threat isnt just homophobic: It sexualizes queer presence, equates intimacy with danger, and teaches all kids to see desire, affection, and identity through a lens of fear.Exclusionary Membership PoliciesThis fear is baked into all of AHGs and Trail Lifes policies. AHGs membership policy says, All biological girls of any color, race, national origin and socioeconomic status are invited to be members of [AHG]. The term biological girls is a transphobic dog whistle which implies a persons real sex can only be either male or femaledenying the reality of transgender and intersex people.Theyre ignoring both the scientific evidence and the lived experiences of so many of us, says Salinas-Quiroz.American Heritage Girls logo.Trail Lifes handbook states, [A]ny sexual activity outside the context of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman is sinful. We grant membership to adults and youth who do not engage in or promote sexual immorality of any kind.Homophobia and Transphobia in the Form of Strict Gender RolesKenzie remembers AHG prepping us to be good mothers one day, like learning how to sew. Activities that would make us good and pure Christian girls. She says they didnt do much outdoors. You dont need to be playing a ton outside, thats what boys do, they would tell her.Subscribe nowI remember from a young age hearing, This will make you a good housewife, a good mom. Whos to say I want to get married? Whos to say I want to have children? says Kenzie, who only felt comfortable using her first name because she isnt out to her family. It felt like [AHG was] putting us in a very gendered box.Being forced to conform to the gender binary is also true over at Trail Life. No matter what our culture says, boys and girls are different, reads one blog post by Trail Life entitled Letting Boys be Boys in a Toxic Culture.Discussions about toxic masculinity, a blurring of gender lines, fewer and fewer fathers in the home, and the watering down or extinction of programs that train and equip boys to become men have left too many boys frustrated, fearful, and floundering in their struggle to understand what it means to be a man.At Trail Life, even though women are allowed to assist a troop, only men can become leaders so that they can show the boys what it is like to be a man, according to another blog post. You need men to instill masculinity into boys, helping show them how to become a man.What Do They Teach?Both AHG and Trail Life provide resources for parents and carers of young people that serve to bolster their anti-LGBTQ teachings.In 2020, Trail Lifewhich operates as a ministrypartnered with two Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-LGBTQ hate groups: the Alliance Defending Freedom and Focus on the Family. The groups presented a webinar for troop leaders and connected officials that explored religious freedom, child safety and gender confusion.We need to know there is not an LGBT community. So dont think that any of us have to be respectful of the LGBT community, Glenn Stanton, director of Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family, said during the webinar.Stanton also used the discussion to promote conversion therapy resources from Focus on the Familys partner organizations for those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions.Same-sex feelings and all that is rooted in just pure political ideology, [and] those things have to be resisted, he told pastors and ministry leaders on the webinar.Screenshot from Focus on the Familys presentation at the Trail Life Protect Your Ministry Summit.In 2022, AHG self-published an e-book called A Raising Godly Girls Guide to Gender and Identity, aimed at supporting parents whose children are questioning their gender or experiencing gender dysphoria. The bookwritten by an unnamed authorundermines and denies the reality of transgender and gender-diverse identities.The cover of AHGs book, A Raising Godly Girls Guide to Gender & Identity.In the founders note, Garibay writes, For centuries, the beauty of God-given femininity has been under attack, its definition debated, [and] its behavior contested. Today, it has gone one step further to claim an embrace of non-binary sexual identity.The anonymous authors define so-called Biblical femininity as the core essence of every woman relational, nurturing, and vulnerable beings. They suggest that readers who know someone struggling with confusion should encourage them to go through conversion therapy by [seeking] the professional clinical and spiritual care of a Christian counselor and find[ing] healing.This narrative may be cloaked in spiritual language, but its function is deeply political: It teaches girls that their value lies in submission, emotional labor and supporting othersparticularly menrather than in discovering who they are on their own terms, says Salinas-Quiroz. These [gender] roles arent naturaltheyre socially constructed and often steeped in colonial, white-supremacist and Christian nationalist ideals.Rgg Gender And Identity E Book For Media4.19MB PDF fileDownloadDownloadTrail Lifes counterpart book, Raising Godly Boys, teaches a patriarchal view of masculinityone that requires men to view care as feminine and positions women as less capable. Women, for the most part, may not be the strong, action-oriented, stoic risk-takers men are. There is beauty and intention in these differences.What [Trail Life] really means is that boys must perform a very specific kind of masculinityone tied to dominance, emotional suppression and patriarchal authority. These messages dont just harm [queer] youth, says Salinas-Quiroz. They also limit cis children, especially those who dont see themselves reflected in these rigid templates.ShareWhat Are the Alternatives?Its unlikely AHGs or Trail Lifes LGBTQ-exclusive membership policies will face a legal challenge anytime soon. Both groups have some protection because of a 2000 Supreme Court ruling which upheld the Boy Scouts First Amendment right to exclude an assistant scoutmaster after learning he was an avowed homosexual and gay rights activist.There is, however, a new, more inclusive option thats gaining momentum. Founded in 2014 after Michael Brown and Eric Garner were killed by police officers, the Radical Monarchs is an alternative scouting organization for girls and gender-expansive youth, rooted in social justice and aimed specifically at girls of color to provide kids with a place where difference is celebrated, not disciplined.Radical Monarchs badge. Rather than asking how to raise boys into men and girls into women, we should be asking how to raise young people into whole compassionate human beings. This requires spaces rooted in trust, exploration and self-determinationnot segregation and control, says Salinas-Quiroz.Children know who they are. Our job is to listen, affirm and make space for that knowing to grow.Kenzie says shes done a lot of unpacking after her years at AHG and her Christian upbringing and says shes now at peace. If I could just be a straight cis woman and the ideal Christian girl it would make my life a hell of a lot easier, but I cant push that into myself.The American Heritage Girls and Trail Life USA did not respond to Uncloseted Medias request for comment.If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02478-xPlan-B careers can be a force for good in science

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by Lisa Song ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. It was meant to be a routine discussion on pollution. One by one, delegates at the United Nations expressed support for a new panel of scientists who would advise countries on how to address chemicals and toxic waste.But the U.S. delegate took the meeting in a new direction. She spent her allotted three minutes reminding the world that the United States now had a national position on a single word in the documents establishing the panel: gender.Use of the term gender replaces the biological category of sex with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity and is demeaning and unfair, especially to women and girls, the delegate told the U.N. in June. The Trump administration is pushing its anti-trans agenda on a global stage, repeatedly objecting to the word gender in international resolutions and documents. During at least six speeches before the U.N., U.S. delegates have denounced so-called gender ideology or reinforced the administrations support for language that recognizes women are biologically female and men are biologically male. The delegates included federal civil service employees and the associate director of Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for Trumps policies, who now works for the State Department. They delivered these statements during U.N. forums on topics as varied as womens rights, science and technology, global health, toxic pollution and chemical waste. Even a resolution meant to reaffirm cooperation between the U.N. and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations became an opportunity to bring up the issue.Insisting that everyones gender is determined biologically at birth leaves no room for the existence of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people, who face discrimination and violence around the world. Intersex people have variations in chromosomes, hormone levels or anatomy that differ from whats considered typical for male and female bodies. A federal report published in January just before President Donald Trump took office, estimated there are more than 5 million intersex Americans.On at least two occasions, U.S. delegates urged the U.N. to adopt its language on men and women, though its unclear if the U.S. position has led to any policy changes at the U.N. But the effects of the countrys objections are more than symbolic, said Kristopher Velasco, a sociology professor at Princeton University who studies how international institutions and nongovernmental organizations have worked to expand or curtail LGBTQ+ rights. U.N. documents can influence countries policies over time and set an international standard for human rights, which advocates can cite as they campaign for less discriminatory policies, Velasco said. The phrase gender ideology has emerged as a catchall term for far-right anxieties about declining fertility rates and a decrease in traditional heterosexual families, he said.At the U.N., the administration has promoted other aspects of its domestic agenda. For example, U.S. delegates have demanded the removal of references to tackling climate change and voted against an International Day of Hope because the text contained references to diversity, equity and inclusion. (The two-page document encouraged a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth and welcomed respect for diversity.) But the reflexive resistance to the word gender is particularly noteworthy.Advocates for LGBTQ+ rights said the U.S. repeated condemnation of gender ideology signals support for more repressive regimes.The U.S. is sending the world a clear message: that the identities and rights of trans, nonbinary, and intersex people are negotiable, Ash Lazarus Orr, press relations manager at the nonprofit Advocates for Trans Equality, said in a statement. Laurel Sprague, research director at the Williams Institute, a policy center focused on sexual orientations and gender identities at the University of California, Los Angeles, said shes concerned that other countries will take similar positions on transgender rights to gain favor with the U.S. Last month Mike Waltz, Trumps nominee for ambassador to the U.N., told a Senate committee that he wants to use a countrys record of voting with or against the U.S. at the U.N. as a metric for deciding foreign aid. In response to detailed questions from ProPublica, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement: President Trump was overwhelmingly elected to restore common sense to government, which means focusing foreign policy on securing peace deals and putting America First not enforcing woke gender ideology.A clash between Trumps administration and certain U.N. institutions over transgender rights was almost inevitable.Trumps hostility to transgender rights was a key part of his election campaign. On his first day in office, he issued an executive order called Defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government. The order claimed there were only two immutable sexes. Eight days later, Trump signed an executive order restricting gender-affirming surgery for anyone under 19. Federal agencies have since forced trans service members out of the military and sued California for its refusal to ban trans athletes from girls sports teams. In June, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights criticized American government officials for their statements vilifying transgender and non-binary people. The human rights office urges U.N. member states to provide gender-affirming care and says the organization has affirmed the right of trans persons to legal recognition of their gender identity and a change of gender in official documents, including birth certificates. The office also supports the rights of intersex people. Intersex people in the U.S. are extremely worried that they will become bigger targets, said Sylvan Fraser Anthony, legal and policy director at the intersex advocacy group InterACT. In all regions of the world, we are witnessing a pushback against womens human rights and gender equality, Laura Gelbert Godinho Delgado, a spokesperson for the U.N.s human rights office, said in an email. This has fueled misogyny, anti-LGBTI rhetoric, and hate speech.The Trump administrations insistence on litigating gender complicates the already ponderous procedures of the U.N. Many decisions are made by consensus, which could require representatives from more than 100 countries to agree on every word. Phrases and single words still under debate are marked with brackets. Some draft documents end up with hundreds of brackets, awaiting resolution at a subsequent date.At the June meeting on chemical pollution, delegates decided to form a scientific panel but couldnt agree on crucial details about whether the panels purpose included the protection of human health and the environment. A description of the panel included brackets on whether it would work in a way that integrates gender equality and equity or equality between men and women.The U.S. delegate, Liz Nichols, reminded the U.N. at one point that it is the policy of the United States to use clear and accurate language that recognizes women are biologically female and men are biologically male. It is important to acknowledge the biological reality of sex to support the needs and perspectives of women and girls. Career staffers like Nichols are hired for subject-matter expertise and work to execute the agenda of whichever administration is in charge, regardless of personal beliefs. Nichols has a doctorate in ecology from Columbia University and has worked for the State Department since 2018. When asked for comment, she referred ProPublica to the State Department. A State Department spokesperson said in a statement, As President Trumps Executive Orders and our public remarks have repeatedly stated, this administration will continue to defend womens rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male. Gender is a crucial factor in chemical safety, said Rachel Radvany, environmental health campaigner at the Center for International Environmental Law who attended the meeting. Pregnant people are uniquely vulnerable to chemical exposure and women are disproportionately exposed to toxic compounds, including through beauty and menstrual products.Radvany said the statement read by Nichols contributed to the uncertainty on how the panel would consider gender in its work. The brackets around gender-related issues and other topics remained in the draft decision and will have to be resolved at a future gathering that may not happen until next summer.The U.S. has also staked out similar positions at U.N. meetings focused on gender. At a session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March, Jonathan Shrier, a longtime State Department employee who now works for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said the U.S. disapproved of a declaration supporting the empowerment of all women and girls that mentioned the word gender. The phrase all women and girls in U.N. documents has been used as a way to be inclusive of trans women and girls.Shrier read a statement saying that several factors in the text made it impossible for the U.S. to back the resolution, which the commission had recently adopted. That included lapses in using clear and accurate language that recognizes women are biologically female and men are biologically male.During the summit, Shrier repeated those talking points at an event co-sponsored by the U.S. government and the Center for Family and Human Rights, or C-Fam. The groups mission statement says its goal is the preservation of international law by discrediting socially radical policies at the United Nations and other international institutions. Shrier directed questions to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, which did not respond. Responding to questions from ProPublica, C-Fams president, Austin Ruse, said in a statement that the U.S. position on gender is in line with the definitions found in an important U.N. document on the empowerment of women from 1995. Some countries have pushed back against the U.S. stance, often in ways that appear subtle to the casual observer. The U.N. social and environmental forums where these speeches have been delivered tend to operate with a culture of civility and little direct confrontation, said Alessandra Nilo, external relations director for the Americas and the Caribbean at the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Nilo has participated in U.N. forums on HIV/AIDS and womens health since 2000. When other delegates speak out in support of diversity and womens rights, its a sign of their disapproval and a way to isolate the U.S., Nilo said. During the womens rights summit, the delegate from Brazil celebrated the expansion of gender and diversity language in the declaration.Nilo said many countries are scared to speak out for fear of losing trade deals or potential foreign aid from the U.S.Advocating an America First platform, Trump has upended U.S. commitments to multinational organizations and alliances. He signed orders withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization and various U.N. bodies, such as the Human Rights Council and the cultural group UNESCO. Its rare for the U.N. to directly affect legislation in the U.S. But the Trump administration repeatedly cites concerns that U.N. documents could supersede American policy.In April, the U.S. criticized a draft resolution on global health debated at a meeting of the U.N. Commission on Population and Development. Spencer Chretien, the U.S. delegate, opposed references to the U.N.s Sustainable Development Goals, which provide a blueprint for how countries can prosper economically while improving gender equality and protecting the environment. Chretien called the program a form of soft global governance that conflicts with national sovereignty. Chretien also touted the administrations unequivocal rejection of gender ideology extremism and renewed membership in the Geneva Consensus Declaration, an antiabortion document signed by more than 30 countries, including Russia, Hungary, Saudi Arabia and South Sudan. The first Trump administration co-sponsored the initiative in 2020 before the Biden administration withdrew from it.Chretien helped write Project 2025 when he worked at The Heritage Foundation. He is now a senior bureau official in the State Departments Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. Chretien couldnt be reached for comment.The U.N. proposal on global health faced additional opposition from Burundi, Djibouti and Nigeria, where abortion is generally illegal. Delegates from those countries were upset about references to sexual and reproductive health services, which could include abortion access. The commission chair withdrew the resolution, seeing no way to reach consensus.During a July forum about a document on sustainable development, the U.S. delegate, Shrier, asked for a vote on several paragraphs about gender, climate change and various forms of discrimination. In his objections, he cited two paragraphs that he argued advanced this radical abortion agenda through the terms sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.The final vote on whether to retain those paragraphs was 141 to 2, with only the U.S. and Ethiopia voting no. (Several countries abstained.) When the results lit up the screen, the chamber broke into thunderous applause. Doris Burke contributed research.

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Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes, who once unsuccessfully sued a social media account for mocking him from his cows point of view, has lost his defamation lawsuit against lesbian MSNBC News host Rachel Maddow. The judge threw the case out because he said no reasonable jury could find Maddow liable for defamation under its legal definition.Nunes sued Maddow over an untrue accusation that she repeated on the March 2021 broadcast of The Rachel Maddow Show. In the broadcast, she repeated a claim, first made by Politico, that Nunes refused to give the FBI a package that he received from Ukrainian businessman Andrii Derkach, a suspected Russian agent. Related Rachel Maddow plays sad trombone while mocking Trump for the failure of his latest corrupt venture Womp Womp At the time, Nunes was serving as a Republican U.S. House member from California. Maddow said, [Nunes] refused to hand it over to the FBI, which is what you should do if you get something from somebody who is sanctioned by the U.S. as a Russian agent. However, Nunes said that he had promptly given the package to the FBI.Maddows producers said that she was citing a July 2020 Politico article, which said that Nunes had declined repeated requests for comment on the matter, but added, one person familiar with the matter said the information was not turned over to the FBI, The Independent reported. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today But Nunes sued Maddow after the broadcast, claiming that she had deliberately ignored other news reports that said that he had given the package to the FBI. Nunes said that Maddow and MSNBC had an institutional hostility, hatred, extreme bias, spite and ill-will towards him that compelled its coverage.However, U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel dismissed the lawsuit on Monday, saying that Nunes failed to prove Maddow acted with actual malice, an additional criterion necessary to prove defamation against a public figure in a civil court. Castel said Nunes had failed to present evidence that Maddow was aware of the probable falsityof her claim, and that her and her networks political bias caused defendant to act with a reckless disregard of the truth pertaining to him. Castel ruled that no reasonable jury could find that Maddow engaged in constitutionally-defined actual malice. However, The Independent noted that Derkach, the man who provided the package to Nunes, was sanctionedby the U.S. Treasury Department in September 2020 for attempting to interfere on Donald Trumps behalf in that years presidential election.This isnt Nunes first failed lawsuit. In March 2019, he filed a lawsuit against a parody social media account @DevinCow, claiming that the account and Twitter (which is now X) were facilitating a vicious defamation campaign against him by allowing the account to operate.The account used crude humor to accuse Nunes of criminal behavior and made numerous cow-related puns including, Devins boots are full of manure and Hes udder-ly worthless and its pasture time to move him to prison.A Virginia judge dismissed the lawsuit, citing the parody account operators right to free speech and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects social media companies from any legal liability for content posted by users. The lawsuit backfired on Nunes, bringing notoriety to the account and leading it to eventually amass more followers than Nunes social media accounts.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02455-4Satellites, drones and artificial-intelligence tools can improve fire management but they must be informed by wildfire science, or we risk worsening the problem for decades.

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After years of refusing to hear such cases, the Supreme Court has decided to hear Chiles v. Salazar, a case that could overturn the bans on conversion therapy for minors currently in place in 23 states.The Courts hearings and decision will both occur within the coming year, so heres an overview of the case, its background, the anti-LGBTQ+ legal group behind the case, the cases likely outcome, and how LGBTQ+ organizations are reacting. Related Heres what scientific studies on conversion therapy say Scientific studies on conversion therapy show that its harmful and ineffective. All major medical and psychological associations oppose it. What is the Supreme Court conversion therapy case?The case, filed by the anti-LGBTQ+ Christian nationalist legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), involves Kaley Chiles a Christian licensed professional counselor in Colorado Springs, Colorado who says that the states conversion therapy ban prohibits her from advising clients with unwanted same-sex attractions or gender identity confusion who prioritize their faith above their feelings,The Hillreported. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Chiles challenged the law in 2022 as a violation of her First Amendment right to free speech. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld Colorados ban, saying that it regulated professional conduct rather than speech. The ADF appealed the decision to the nations highest court.The law firm claims that conversion therapy bans allow counselors to steer young people towards gender identities that differ from the sex they were assigned at birth, while punishing counselors for conversations that aim to help [young patients] return to comfort with their sex when they desire that. However, the ADFs claim mischaracterizes the bans. What do conversion therapy bans actually do?In reality, the bans forbid all state-licensed doctors, psychologists, therapists, and social workers from purporting to change a persons sexual orientation or gender identity. Additionally, some states ban the practice of conversion therapy because it violates state medical licensing standards, as the methods are ineffective and harm patients.Indeed, numerous studies show that conversion therapy is an ineffective practice that increases peoples mental distress, internalized queerphobia, and suicidality. Most major American medical and psychological associations disavow conversion therapy as a pseudoscientific form of psychological torture, and note that LGBTQ+ identities are not mental disorders and therefore dont need to be cured. Other states with conversion therapy bans have said that any practitioners who purport to change an individuals LGBTQ+ identity are, in essence, using false advertising to market their services, which violates state regulatory business statutes.The state bans often restrict the use of any state or federal funds to support conversion therapy for minors. Counselors and organizations that violate these bans can face fines, suspension, or revocation of professional licenses, and even imprisonment in some cases.The bans allow counselors to address individuals discomfort with their LGBTQ+ identities, and many counselors will encourage people to safely explore their sexuality or gender to see if certain identities feel right for them or not. Counselors are not required to steer patients into accepting an LGBTQ+ identity.Most states only ban conversion therapy for minors under the age of 18. Currently, Washington, D.C., and Minnesota are the only areas with statutes that also prohibit the practice for adults. Have there been previous Supreme Court conversion therapy cases?Until now, the Court has refused to hear cases challenging state conversion therapy bans.In 2017,the Supreme Court declined to heara challenge to Californias 2012 law banning state-licensed medical professionals from practicing conversion therapy on minors. The ban was challenged on religious freedom grounds by licensed therapist and minister Donald Welch.In December 2023, the Court refused to hear a challenge to a Washington state law banning conversion therapy for minors. The challenge to the law (known as S.B. 5722) was filed by Brian Tingley, a licensed family counselor who practices conversion therapy. He argued that the states ban on licensed therapists performing conversion therapy on minors violates his constitutional rights. He was represented by the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).Tingleys case was dismissed by a U.S. district court in Washington in 2021, with Judge Robert Bryan ruling that the state has the authority to regulate medical practice and that the law didnt target Tingley on the basis of his religion, since the law applies to providers of all faiths. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuitupheld the Washington law, and the full appeals court refused to rehear the case.Tingley then asked the Supreme Court to hear his appeal, but six of the justices voted not to hear his case. Three Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented and said that the Court should have heard his appeal. Since the Court did not hear his appeal, the Washington law stayed in place. After Courts refusal, Justice Thomas wrote a blistering dissent.If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein,Thomas wrotein his dissent. Yet, under S.B. 5722 [Washingtons law banning conversion therapy], licensed counselors cannot voice anything other than the state-approved opinion on minors with gender dysphoria without facing punishment.How will the Justices rule in the Supreme Court conversion therapy case?Alliance Defending Freedom (ADL), the anti-LGBTQ+ Christian Nationalist legal group representing plaintiff Kaley Chiles in Chiles v. Salazar, has successfully represented numerous anti-LGBTQ+ cases at SCOTUS, with the courts conservative majority consistently voting in their favor. Because of the Courts 6-3 conservative majority and its habit of favoring Christian religious liberties, its very possible that the court will vote to overturn bans on conversion therapy.ADLs recent religious rights victories at the Court include the following:Mahmoud v. Taylor, a 2025 decision that ruled that schools must allow religious parents to opt their students out of classes containing LGBTQ+ content303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, a 2023 decision that ruled that Colorado cant enforce its anti-discrimination law against a Christian web designer. Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, a 2022 decision that ruled that theschool district violated a football coachs First Amendment rights by preventing him from praying on the field after games.Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health, a 2022 decision that ruled that pregnant individuals have no constitutional right to receive an abortion. The ruling has endangered the lives of pregnant people seeking reproductive healthcare.Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a 2018 decision that Colorados commission didnt act with the required religious neutrality when evaluating the case of a baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., a 2014 decision thatreligious corporations dont have to follow a federal law requiring them to provide contraception coverage to employees.The ADF represented Brian Tingley, the religious counselor who unsuccessfully sued in 2023 to overturn Washington States conversion therapy ban. ADFs case cited a 2018 Supreme Court decision in which the conservative majority ruled that a California law could not require so-called crisis pregnancy centers, which oppose abortion, to inform women about publicly-funded abortion and contraception services. The justices ruled that the California law violated the First Amendments freedom of speech protections.A federal court of appeals in Atlanta relied on that decision to block enforcement of bans on conversion therapy in parts of Florida in 2020. The same reasoning is being used in the Chiles v. Salazar case. What do LGBTQ+ orgs think about the Supreme Court conversion therapy case?In a statement about SCOTUS decision to hear the case, Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said, The Supreme Courts decision to take up this case isnt just about so-called conversion therapy its about whether extremists can use our courts to push their dangerous agenda, in an effort to erase LGBTQ+ people and gut protections that keep our kids safe. Theres no debate: so-called conversion therapy is a dangerous practice, not therapy, and it has no place in our communities. These bans exist to protect LGBTQ+ children from harmperiod.Attacks on LGBTQ+ rights are the entry point to attacks on all of our rights. The same people trying to legalize abuse under the guise of therapy are the ones banning books, ripping away reproductive rights, and undermining our democracy. The Supreme Court must uphold the 10th Circuit decision finding that these laws are constitutional, Robinson added.Casey Pick, director of law and policy for the Trevor Project, noted that lower courts have consistently upheld laws banning conversion therapy for minors. There is no reason the Court should not do the same here and ensure that LGBTQ young people across the country continue to be protected from unprofessional, unscientific, and deeply harmful practices, Pick said.In June, LGBTQ Nation contributor Lauren Everett wrote, Laws banning conversion therapy across the US do not silence religious or personal beliefs; they protect children from debunked and dangerous treatments masquerading as legitimate therapy. Being LGBTQ+ is not a disorder. It is certainly not something that can or should be cured.'Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.