Subscribe nowAs a Canadian transplant who has been living in the U.S. for 11 years, this week marks two national holidays: Canada Day, which took place on July 1, and Independence Day, which many Americans will celebrate on July 4.People often ask me why Im so proud to be a Canuck.There are many obvious reasons, including universal health care (yes, its actually free); an immigration system so ingrained in our national identity that we strive to be a multicultural mosaic rather than a melting pot; and a global reputation for being nice, well-educated and funny.But as a gay Canadian, I have become increasingly proud of my home and native land since launching an LGBTQ news publication focused in the U.S.North of the border, we dont just talk the talk when it comes to equality. We frankly dominate the U.S. in terms of LGBTQ progress. Here are a few stats that prove it:Gay sex: We legalized it in 1969, 34 years before the U.S. followed suit in 2003.Gay marriage: We legalized it in 2005, 10 years before the U.S. did so. And unlike in America, there is no meaningful push to overturn it.While conversion therapy practiced by licensed therapists is banned for minors in some U.S. states, Canada has banned it nationwide for minors and adults alike (and, drumroll this ban also applies to religious leaders, unlike in the U.S.).We recognize gender identity as grounds for asylum status and legally recognize nonbinary gender markers. The U.S. does not.I could go on. But you get the gist. At a time when the president of the U.S. is making claims that hed like to annex Canada and turn my country into Americas 51st state, theres been a groundswell of outrage.And thats not surprising. Life north of the border is, in so many ways, safer for minority groups and underdogs of all walks of life. Its certainly the case for LGBTQ people.Happy Canada Day!Subscribe for LGBTQ-focused, accountability journalism.Subscribe nowTwo Teens Shot Near Stonewall Inn After NYC Pride March, Police Say (NBC)One teenage victim was shot in the head while another was stable after being shot in the leg. It's unclear whether it was a hate crime-related incident.Iowa's Civil Rights Protections No Longer Include Gender Identity as New Law Takes Effect (NBC)The law also explicitly defines female and male based on reproductive organs at birth and removes the ability for people to change the sex designations on their birth certificates.Indian Court Rules That Trans Women Are Women (LGBTQ Nation)"For transgender community, especially trans women, this verdict means a lot," one trans advocate said.Don Jr.: Affirmative Action Is Why Obama Won Nobel, Not Trump (CNN)President Trump's desire for a Nobel Prize is no secret, and he often blames politics as the reason he hasn't yet won. Donald Trump Jr. claimed in an X post that President Obama won his because of "affirmative action."Marylands Oldest Rural Gay Bar and One of the Last Is a Log Cabin in the Woods (The Baltimore Banner)In the woods of a conservative Western Maryland town of fewer than 4,000 people is an unlikely landmark of state LGBTQ history.Over the next week, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline recently discontinued Option 3, a call menu route once dedicated to specialized support for LGBTQ youth. While the broader crisis line remains active, the closure has raised alarms among mental health professionals, advocates and those who relied on the unique services it offered. We investigate why Option 3 was shut down, who is most affected and what the decision reveals about the state of mental health support systems in the U.S. Just over five months in, the Trump administration has already implemented more than 40% of the policy proposals from Project 2025, the 920-page plan for the Republican presidency by the far-right Christian group The Heritage Foundation. We spoke with a panel of three experts about the implications of these moves for LGBTQ rights and the country as a whole.Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas! Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief spencer@unclosetedmedia.comIf 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