The violent far right is targeting the LGBTQ+ community
FACT: Extremists have been inspired by recent attacks, including the shooting at Club Q
\u201cThis week, @DHSgov raised concerns about potential threats to the LGBTQ+ & other communities. \n\nFACT: Extremists have been inspired by recent attacks, including the shooting at Club Q.\n\nHateful rhetoric is endangering the lives of marginalized communities.\nhttps://t.co/sfiAEGdZRp\u201d
The man who shot up a gay club in Colorado Springs earlier this month has drawn praise in online forums
\u201cLiterally the Department of Homeland Security has declared us to be in a heightened threat environment for terrorism, based on recent attacks on the LGBT+ community, threats against the Jewish community, voter intimidation, and the attack on Pelosi's husband.\u201d
With a government shutdown looming, Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride turned to satire, releasing a video that skewered her Republican colleagues for being nowhere to be found as funding negotiations stalled.
“We’re barreling towards a shutdown. All my Democratic colleagues are here. I’m going to go search for my Republican colleagues,” McBride declared, striding through the marble corridors of Congress with her phone camera rolling.
The first-term Democrat poked around empty committee rooms, peeked behind curtains, and even checked inside a fireplace. “Are there any Republicans in here? Hello? Republicans? No,” she deadpanned. On the Capitol’s private subway, she quipped, “No Republicans on the train.”
Next, she’s standing on a broken escalator. “Does anyone know how to fix this thing?” she asked, as the video cut to a photo of the President, who, just days earlier, along with Melania Trump, was stranded on a stalled escalator at the United Nations General Assembly. Trump has since alleged “triple sabotage” of his appearance there after a White House-run teleprompter and an audio feed appeared to have technical difficulties.
McBride, the first out transgender person elected to Congress, has made humor a signature of her digital presence.
McBride eventually ran into DemocraticFlorida U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who joined the act. “I’ve been looking too,” Frost told her. “They’re nowhere to be found.” McBride ended the clip with a pointed line: “We’re 12 hours away from a government shutdown, and Republicans are nowhere to be seen. They’re not serious about keeping this government open.”
The video highlights a serious reality: Without congressional action, the federal government is set to run out of money at midnight. According to ABC News, millions of Americans could feel the effects almost immediately. Up to four million federal employees would either be furloughed or forced to work without pay, including TSA agents, air traffic controllers, and active-duty military personnel. Federal contractors, including security guards and custodians, would be left without work or guaranteed back pay.
Programs that provide lifelines to vulnerable families would also begin to buckle. Funding for the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program could dry up within days, leaving low-income families without assistance. While Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits would continue, the services that process claims, replace cards, or verify eligibility would slow, leaving recipients in limbo. Even the courts, although partially shielded, would face delays and staffing shortages if the shutdown were to drag on.
This kind of disruption is not new. The last government shutdown occurred in late 2018 and stretched into early 2019 under Trump’s first term, lasting 35 days—the longest in U.S. history. That impasse began over Trump’s demand for border wall funding and resulted in roughly $11 billion in lost economic output, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It was the second shutdown of his presidency; an earlier funding lapse in January 2018 lasted three days before lawmakers struck a short-term deal. Both episodes inflicted widespread uncertainty, from shuttered national parks to delayed paychecks for federal workers, and today’s looming crisis threatens to repeat that history.
Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican, has delayed House votes, effectively stalling negotiations, while Republicans have largely departed Washington. In the Senate, where Republicans are also in control, negotiations have also seemingly stalled, with Sen. John Thune, the Senate majority leader from South Dakota, accusing Democrats of acting in bad faith. Trump has publicly said the government will “probably” shut down, repeating a false claim that Democrats want to extend Medicare to undocumented immigrants. In reality, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or Affordable Care Act subsidies.
With a government shutdown looming, Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride turned to satire, releasing a video that skewered her Republican colleagues for being nowhere to be found as funding negotiations stalled.
“We’re barreling towards a shutdown. All my Democratic colleagues are here. I’m going to go search for my Republican colleagues,” McBride declared, striding through the marble corridors of Congress with her phone camera rolling.
The first-term Democrat poked around empty committee rooms, peeked behind curtains, and even checked inside a fireplace. “Are there any Republicans in here? Hello? Republicans? No,” she deadpanned. On the Capitol’s private subway, she quipped, “No Republicans on the train.”
Next, she’s standing on a broken escalator. “Does anyone know how to fix this thing?” she asked, as the video cut to a photo of the President, who, just days earlier, along with Melania Trump, was stranded on a stalled escalator at the United Nations General Assembly. Trump has since alleged “triple sabotage” of his appearance there after a White House-run teleprompter and an audio feed appeared to have technical difficulties.
McBride, the first out transgender person elected to Congress, has made humor a signature of her digital presence.
McBride eventually ran into DemocraticFlorida U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who joined the act. “I’ve been looking too,” Frost told her. “They’re nowhere to be found.” McBride ended the clip with a pointed line: “We’re 12 hours away from a government shutdown, and Republicans are nowhere to be seen. They’re not serious about keeping this government open.”
The video highlights a serious reality: Without congressional action, the federal government is set to run out of money at midnight. According to ABC News, millions of Americans could feel the effects almost immediately. Up to four million federal employees would either be furloughed or forced to work without pay, including TSA agents, air traffic controllers, and active-duty military personnel. Federal contractors, including security guards and custodians, would be left without work or guaranteed back pay.
Programs that provide lifelines to vulnerable families would also begin to buckle. Funding for the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program could dry up within days, leaving low-income families without assistance. While Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits would continue, the services that process claims, replace cards, or verify eligibility would slow, leaving recipients in limbo. Even the courts, although partially shielded, would face delays and staffing shortages if the shutdown were to drag on.
This kind of disruption is not new. The last government shutdown occurred in late 2018 and stretched into early 2019 under Trump’s first term, lasting 35 days—the longest in U.S. history. That impasse began over Trump’s demand for border wall funding and resulted in roughly $11 billion in lost economic output, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It was the second shutdown of his presidency; an earlier funding lapse in January 2018 lasted three days before lawmakers struck a short-term deal. Both episodes inflicted widespread uncertainty, from shuttered national parks to delayed paychecks for federal workers, and today’s looming crisis threatens to repeat that history.
Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican, has delayed House votes, effectively stalling negotiations, while Republicans have largely departed Washington. In the Senate, where Republicans are also in control, negotiations have also seemingly stalled, with Sen. John Thune, the Senate majority leader from South Dakota, accusing Democrats of acting in bad faith. Trump has publicly said the government will “probably” shut down, repeating a false claim that Democrats want to extend Medicare to undocumented immigrants. In reality, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel; California Attorney General Rob Bonta; New York Attorney General Letitia James
Courtesy Pictured; Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock; lev radin/Shutterstock
Nine Democratic state Attorneys General have vowed to do "whatever it takes" to defend the rights of transgender youth as the school year begins.
A new video campaign from the National Women's Law Center features Rob Bonta (California), Anthony Brown (Maryland), Andrea Campbell (Massachusetts), Charity Clark (Vermont), Keith Ellison (Minnesota), Letitia James (New York), Kathy Jennings (Delaware), Dana Nessel (Michigan), and Dan Rayfield (Oregon) each stating "I promise to fight for trans students."
"We will continue to hold this federal administration accountable, fighting to protect your rights, to protect access to health care, and so much more," the AGs take turns reciting. "When it comes to keeping trans youth safe, we will do whatever it takes. We are protecting our hospitals and clinics to provide the care that you may need. We won't look away if students are facing hostile learning environments, and we will hold schools accountable under our state laws."
"As the school year starts, we want you to remember: You belong here. You inspire us. And we do love you," they conclude. "So, have a great school year and know that you've got some people who have your back."
Donald Trump signed an executive order attempting to ban gender-affirming care for people under 19 shortly after taking office, which a federal judge blocked in February after finding that it is likely unconstitutional. Twelve states filed a separate lawsuit in August, asserting that the care is legally protected under their laws and the order violates states’ rights guaranteed by the 10th Amendment.
Despite the care being protected under state laws, providers in California, Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, and more have discontinued their programs, citing the Trump administration's threats. After University of Michigan Health stopped providing gender-affirming care for youth, Nessel warned it to reconsider or her office would be "considering all of our options" for legal action.
“There is broad support throughout the nation to resist the administration’s attacks on trans students,” Fatima Goss Graves, National Women’s Law Center’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “These young people — our children — continue to be bullied by the administration and other extremists in ways that threaten their education and even their existence."
"Even as Donald Trump has rolled back civil rights enforcement, many states are stepping up to hold schools accountable and ensure every child can learn in an environment free from discrimination," she continued. "Students need to know there are people who have their back and will never stop fighting for their right to learn in safety and dignity.”
Mary Trump believes her uncle's signature on a card to Jeffrey Epstein is authentic.
Matthew Horwood/Getty Images; Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock
The out lesbian niece of Donald Trump has no doubts that it's his signature on an alleged raunchy birthday card sent to Jeffrey Epstein.
Democrats recently revealed the card, which the Wall Street Journalfirst reported on in July but did not show, after Trump and officials in his administration continually called it a "hoax." Mary Trump has since weighed in, stating she believes the card to be authentic.
“That’s definitely his signature,” she wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Just saying.”
— (@)
Trump allegedly sent the card to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, according to the WSJ report. It includes a hand-drawn sketch of a naked woman with Trump’s signature placed along her pubic area to mimic hair, with text stating that the two share “certain things in common" and wishing Epstein “another wonderful secret."
The card features an imaginary conversation between the two men written in third person. It reads as such:
“Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything,” the note began. Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is. Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is. Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey. Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it. Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you. Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret."
Trump filed a lawsuit against WSJ, as well as its parent company News Corp and owner Rupert Murdoch — who also owns Fox News — after the outlet published the article. The lawsuit, filed in southern Florida, seeks more than $20 billion in damages for defamation.
The White House has repeatedly denied the card's authenticity, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt most recently saying that "it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it."
Epstein died in jail in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking conspiracy. He had long been accused of sexually abusing underage girls, with allegations that his prominent friends had been involved as well. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for her complicity in child sex trafficking.
Even though Trump has claimed to be “not a fan” of Epstein, the two men with frequently photographed together in the 1980s and ’90s. Trump told New York Magazine in 2002, “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."
Broadway actors Javier Muñoz (Hamilton) and Peppermint (Head Over Heels) on Capitol Hill to lobby Congress against cutting HIV prevention and treatment funds (September 3, 2025).
Morrison Media Group
Before Congress can cut crucial funding for HIV prevention and treatment, Broadway stars Javier Muñoz and Peppermint are making them listen to the people who will be impacted.
Muñoz, best known for starring as Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton, and Peppermint, runner-up on season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the first out transgender woman to originate a principal Broadway role in Head Over Heels, met with Democrat and Republican lawmakers alike on Wednesday afternoon to persuade them not to vote for a budget they warned will "eviscerate" government programs dedicated to HIV.
For Muñoz, an out gay man who has been living with HIV for over 20 years, it could be a matter of life or death.
"This is not something that is outside of my existence or my life. This is my life, this is my health, this is my future," Muñoz tells The Advocate. "This is my ability to actually maintain breathing and living and access to my treatment on a daily basis."
The House Appropriations Committee recently released its FY26 funding bill, which would cut HIV treatment and prevention by $1.7 billion — cuts much steeper than even those initially proposed by Donald Trump. This would revoke over $1 billion through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including $220 million from the president's Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative.
The proposed budget would slash the budget for the Ryan White CARE Act by 20 percent ($525 million), ending grants to over 400 clinics that provide care. It would also threaten the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the global program started by Republican President George W. Bush in 2003 which has saved an estimated 26 million lives; Medicaid, which provides health insurance for 40 percent of Americans living with HIV; and access to prevention drugs such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.
This would destroy "any advancement, things that are on the horizon, things that might put us towards closer and closer towards ending this virus," as Muñoz describes it; advancements such as combination therapies, one-pill-a-day treatments, and "the fact that I have no side effects with my medication."
Broadway actors Javier Muñoz (Hamilton) and Peppermint (Head Over Heels) on Capitol Hill to lobby Congress against cutting HIV prevention and treatment funds (September 3, 2025).
Morrison Media Group
"They will put us back to where we started. We will be back to HIV wards — AIDS wards — in hospitals," Muñoz says. "We will be dwindled down. We will watch our loved ones die again, and it is completely needless. We are in the position to do more and better, and it's inexcusable to even have these cuts on the table."
The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have not yet voted on the cuts, but must do so before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Until that happens, Peppermint is urging others to "take advantage of these services while you have them" by utilizing the clinics near them and "routinely getting checked" for STDs.
"After nearly 30 years living in New York City, I've really been proud of the things I've been able to do, and that is in huge part thanks to my being able to identify as a trans woman and have matching documents, matching paperwork, matching IDs, and then also the healthcare that I was able to utilize," Peppermint says. "The healthcare services that I was able to utilize in times when I was flying high on a TV show or on Broadway, but also times when I was in between jobs and wasn't able to work."
Those who wish to speak directly to the budget cuts should "reach out to local politicians," Muñoz advises, as he says "the only way we're going to really apply pressure is to say to these elected officials who are going to vote for these cuts, 'We will vote you out.'"
Both actors are aware of the significance their meetings hold as they represent LGBTQ+ people at a turning point for the community. They hope their personal experiences can sway the hearts of some lawmakers, as Peppermint notes "they might not always have the opportunity to connect with their constituents in this way." For Muñoz, the opportunity forces politicians to confront the reality of what they're doing.
"Look at me dead in the eye and tell me I don't deserve to live," Muñoz says. "Tell me that right now, because I am exactly the person who's going to be directly affected by these cuts."
