SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A new first-in-the nation bill would limit medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children in California; that is, on babies born with anatomical differences in their genitalia.

Senate Bill 225 would require parents to wait until the child is six years old to have surgeries that would, for example, reduce a clitoris, move a working urinary opening or create a vagina.

Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, who wrote the bill, said these types of surgeries can cause chronic pain, scarring, or worse.

"These surgeries can have significant side effects, like permanent sterilization or loss of sexual sensation," Wiener contended. "And the wrong gender can be assigned."

Opponents of the bill claimed government should not play a role in these types of decisions by parents and doctors. Supporters countered a six-year delay gives parents time to get to know their child before taking this type of action.

Hans Lindahl, director of communications for InterAct, a group that advocates for intersex youth, said no one is expecting a six-year-old to make a decision, but rather to be old enough to have some input.

"What we're looking for is time for families and doctors to really understand some of the risks of these procedures," Lindahl explained. "And at that point, it usually will become clear in what direction a child's gender identity is shaping up."

Shannan Wilber, youth policy director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said these types of surgeries are a throwback to other practices that are now widely condemned, like conversion therapy or surgeries on people with disabilities.

"Hopefully, we'll begin to educate the public about this, so that folks with natural anatomical variations will not be viewed as deviants in some way, or something that needs to be corrected, but just part of natural variations in the human body," Wilber argued.

A similar bill failed in committee last year.


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Today is LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day and California advocates are speaking out against federal attacks on workplace protections.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order recognizing "male" and "female" as the only two sexes and withdrawing Biden-era guidance on harassment in the workplace.

Deborah Vagins, national campaign director for Equal Rights Advocates and director of the Equal Pay Today campaign, said Department of Government Efficiency cuts have devastated agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the National Labor Relations Board.

"President Trump took the unprecedented action to fire officials at these independent agencies," Vagins pointed out. "He's laid off hundreds of staff; he's effectively undermined enforcement protections, especially, for LGBTQIA employees."

The administration has said the cuts are necessary to fund an extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts. A 2021 study from the Human Rights Campaign found LGBTQ+ workers make about 90 cents for every dollar earned by other workers, with LGBTQ+ women earning only 87 cents.

Vagins argued the new administration is sending the wrong signals so far.

"The recently renominated acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas has made it clear that she does not plan to fully enforce employment protections for transgender and nonbinary workers," Vagins noted. "They had cases pending at the EEOC that have since been dropped."

Zakiya Thomas, president of the ERA Coalition, emphasized the Equal Rights Amendment has now been ratified by 38 state legislatures, so it should be added to the Constitution but the Trump administration has blocked it.

"The Supreme Court has actually upheld that discrimination against LGBTQ individuals is sex-based discrimination," Thomas stressed. "The Equal Rights Amendment is for everyone and so we want to make sure that we can use it to protect everyone against any kind of discrimination on the basis of sex."

June is Pride Month, and Washington's Lavender Rights Project is celebrating with a Black Trans Comedy Showcase. This is the largest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit, which provides legal and social services for Black trans people.

Angel Patterson, director of development for Lavender Rights, said in the wake of increased attacks on trans rights across the country, the showcase prioritizes the community's health, safety, and joy.

"We are your family too," Patterson explained. "We are your mothers, your brothers, your sisters, your aunties, uncles, cousins, friends, bosses, coworkers. We're all paying parking tickets and taxes the same as everyone else."

Patterson said the showcase will be on June 14th in Seattle and will feature performers from Washington and across the country, including T.S. Madison and Mx Dahlia Belle.

So far, 923 bills targeting trans rights have been introduced across the country this year, and over 100 have passed. Patterson explains that the idea for the showcase came after hearing trans people used as punchlines for jokes in the media.

"Instead of a traditional protest we wanted to reclaim our power in another way that felt sacred to us and this event is truly that and it's a wonderful night to bring our folks together and highlight our work and really just feel the power of pride," Patterson continued.

The comedy showcase will also have auction items to help raise money for the project such as plane tickets, glass blowing classes, concert and sports tickets.

Indiana's largest LGBTQ+ celebration kicks off this weekend as Indy Pride marks its 30th anniversary.

The event expands this year to two days, featuring three major events in downtown Indianapolis. A parade steps off Saturday at 10 a.m. on Mass Ave., followed by a free community gathering at Monument Circle and a two-day concert at American Legion Mall.

Tina Robb, marketing director for Indy Pride, expects tens of thousands of people to attend, and said this year's message is about visibility and unity.

"Pride started out as a protest and as we are seeing in 2025, our rights are being stripped away daily," Robb pointed out. "While it started as a protest, it's going to continue as a protest. And this is our 30th anniversary, so we chose to be loud and bigger than ever this year."

Organizers said the expanded festival reflects both the urgency of the moment and the power of community. June is Pride month and takes place against high profile pushback on equality initiatives by the Trump administration.

Robb noted while some fear rising hate or tension, organizers said they are creating space for joy and safety.

"We can feel the fear," Robb acknowledged. "We can feel the joy is not as high as it normally is, but we need to remember that joy is an act of resistance. We are here for a reason. We have always existed, and we will continue to exist."

Indy Pride expects up to 60,000 people to attend Saturday's parade.


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