Articles from the Constitution State
Anti-LGBTQ bills
A handful of Republican state legislators have introduced dozens of bills aimed at limiting instruction around gender identity, sexual orientation and race, and targeting support for LGBTQ+ students, according to a CT Insider report.
“I think there is a feeling within the Republican Party that this parents’ rights, women’s sports or girl’s sports angle was successful for them in 2024, and they were able to defend some of their more vulnerable seats in Congress by kind of leaning into these culture war issues,” Howell Williams, associate professor of political science at WestConn, told the Insider.
“What this is, I think, is the Republicans in Connecticut see some type of opportunity,” added Gary Rose, politics professor at Sacred Heart University. “Because this is happening in other parts of the country, they’re probably seeing an opportunity here, an opening to kind of get on board with that momentum, that movement. Trump is on record as saying he’s going to grab to those issues, and many of the people that he’s appointed have issues with them too.”
With a Democratic majority in the state house, these bills may have little chance winning votes; still, they’re being used as a wedge in the wider cultural war, notes the report.
Queer culture in health care
On March 3, the Naugatuck Valley Community College Student Nurses Association is hosting a lecture called “Queer Culture in Health Care.”
According to the Association, this event “is one lecture in a part of our greater monthly lecture series meant to improve the education of our future healthcare professionals, and improve the knowledge that people have about health care more generally.”
There will be a panel including participants from Connecticut’s Triangle Community Center along with experts from other organizations. Panelists will discuss what they deem “the most important aspects of furthering knowledge regarding the LGBTQIA+ community and what health care professionals need to know and should improve on.”
There will also be a Q&A session, and refreshments will be sold during an intermission. The lecture will be held in the Mainstage Theater at NVCC.
Q-Mob coffee klatch
On March 23 and April 27, Q-MoB (Queer Men of the Berkshires) is hosting their monthly Queer Men’s Coffee Klatch event at ILSE Coffee in North Canaan.
The event is an opportunity for local queer men to network and socialize with each other over coffee. Attendees can come alone or bring friends. Q-MoB is also looking for new co-hosts for the monthly event to welcome new attendees, make announcements and clean up at the end of events.
Q-MoB hosts Coffee Klatch events at eight different locations each month, and this event is the only one hosted in the state.
Workplace equality leaders
In January, the Human Rights Campaign announced its 2025 list of “Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion” honorees from their annual Corporate Equality Index, and 15 of them are based in Connecticut.
HRC’s Corporate Equality Index is the national roadmap and benchmarking tool for US businesses (and now including municipal employers) to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality in the workplace.
Ratings criteria include workforce protections, inclusive benefits, supportive and inclusive culture, corporate social responsibility, and responsible citizenship.
Top scorers in Connecticut include: AXA LX in Stamford; The Cigna Group, Bloomfield; FactSet Research Systems Inc., Norwalk; Gartner Inc., Stamford; The Hartford Financial Services Group, Hartford; Henkel Corporation, Rocky Hill; New Haven City Employment; Otis Worldwide Corporation, Farmington; Philip Morris International Inc., Stamford; Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford; Stamford City Employment; Steptoe LLP; Synchrony, Stamford; Terex Corp., Norwalk; and Xerox Corp., Norwalk.
Thought Fox book club
On March 20, Thought Fox will host their Queer Book Group at The Velvet Mill in Stonington. The book for March is “The Extraordinaries,” by TJ Klune.
Says Thought Fox, the group is “a welcoming and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ readers and allies to explore diverse narratives and engage in lively discussions.” Every month, the group “delves into powerful stories that reflect and celebrate queer experiences, fostering community and connection through the love of literature.”
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