QnotesCarolinas

11/20/2025

Voting rights groups challenging the newly drawn First Congressional District in North Carolina presented an argument courts have never before considered — that the mid-decade, voluntary redistricting retaliated against voters.

A federal three-judge panel heard arguments in a Winston-Salem courtroom November 19 about the new congressional districts in eastern and northeastern North Carolina that Republicans adopted in October.

Opponents want the judges to block the new districts from being used next year.

Republicans want to make sure that the First Congressional District, which has been represented by a Black Democrat for more than three decades, will elect a Republican next year.

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Advocates argue NC’s new 1st District is unlawful retaliation against voters after mid-decade redistricting driven by partisan pressure.

11/20/2025

North Carolina health officials say they have begun issuing updated curriculum requirements to the organizations that run the state’s federally funded s*x-education programs.

The move follows an Aug. 26 letter from the Administration for Children and Families – which is under the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services – instructing North Carolina to remove all references to what the agency calls “gender ideology” from materials used in the Personal Responsibility Education Program, or PREP. The program funds evidence-based s*x education for adolescents.

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11/20/2025

Strong communities need strong local news.

For nearly four decades, Qnotes has been one of the few consistent sources of LGBTQ+ reporting in the Carolinas, keeping our stories visible even when the broader media landscape overlooks them.

Every week, our team documents the realities shaping LGBTQ+ life across the region. We follow policy decisions that impact daily life, uplift community voices that rarely get a platform, and preserve the history that future generations will rely on to understand this moment. This work does not happen by accident. It happens because people in our community value the truth and choose to support it.

When LGBTQ+ news is underfunded or disappears entirely, gaps open quickly. Policies move forward without scrutiny. Misinformation spreads with ease. Community histories go unrecorded, and entire groups of people are rendered invisible. A strong Press Club ensures that never happens here.

Your membership directly supports reporting that reflects our lived experiences and ensures LGBTQ+ people in the Carolinas remain seen, heard, and understood. It protects the public record of our community and strengthens an archive that will outlast all of us.

Membership starts at just $5 per month. Together, we are working toward a goal of 200 new Press Club members by December 31, building the foundation for a more sustainable and resilient newsroom.

If you believe LGBTQ+ stories deserve to be told with accuracy, depth, and care, we invite you to join the Qnotes Press Club today.

Join here: https://qnotescarolinas.com/pressclub

11/19/2025

Michael Willis Heard, the adult content creator, counselor, former preacher and online personality known widely as Love and Light TV, has died at age 53, according to public posts from family members, friends and colleagues.

Heard built a large digital following across platforms through motivational content, adult videos, and viral audio clips, including the popular “Yes King” sound that became a staple of TikTok and social media remixes.

His death was first shared publicly in tributes posted by loved ones.

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*xual

Pans*xual creator and counselor Michael Willis Heard, known as Love and Light TV and the viral “Yes King” sound, has died at age 53.

11/18/2025

Federal immigration agents launched an aggressive crackdown in Charlotte over the weekend, raising widespread concerns about racial profiling, due process, and community safety.

The operation, known as “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” is being led by U.S. Border Patrol, whose masked agents arrived in unmarked SUVs carrying rifles.

Federal officials said agents made at least 81 arrests within roughly five hours on Saturday, one of the largest single day immigration sweeps in state history.

Siembra NC, which has monitored reports across the region, called it “a day of shame,” noting it was the highest number of immigrants arrested in one day on record in North Carolina.

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Federal agents’ “Operation Charlotte’s Web” sparks fear, protests, and profiling concerns after dozens are detained across Charlotte.

11/16/2025

Local LGBTQ+ news is facing real pressure across the country, and our community feels the impact firsthand. Your support helps ensure that trusted, independent LGBTQ+ journalism continues to shine a light on the policies, decisions, and lived experiences that shape our daily lives.

Through the Qnotes Press Club, readers make it possible to document attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, follow elections and legislation, uplift community voices, and connect people with the stories that matter. Our reporters show up in classrooms, courthouses, meeting rooms, and neighborhood events because they care deeply about telling these stories with honesty and care.

This work is only possible when the community stands behind it. That is why we are working to welcome 200 new Press Club members by December 31 and build toward 1,000 members by June 2026. Every membership strengthens the future of LGBTQ+ journalism in the Carolinas and keeps these stories alive for the next generation.

Your support makes an immediate impact. Joining today helps protect the journalism that informs, connects, and empowers our community at a time when our stories matter more than ever.

Be part of what comes next for LGBTQ+ news in the Carolinas.

Join today: qnotescarolinas.com/pressclub

11/16/2025

Tai Ericson, a multimedia sculptural artist based in Vermont, has created an imaginative and moving way to honor transgender and gender non-conforming people who lost their lives from violence.

He repurposes donated Harry Potter books and turns them into stunning portraits.

Ericson began the project called “The HP Series” this year and it serves as a protest to the many transphobic comments made by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

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Artist Tai Ericson transforms donated Harry Potter books into portraits honoring transgender lives lost to violence, reclaiming art from J.K. Rowling’s rhetoric.

11/14/2025

U.S. Rep. Tim Moore of North Carolina said Thursday he is in support of U.S. Border Patrol operations in Charlotte, drawing a stark contrast to local elected officials who have pointed to “fear and uncertainty” among immigrants.

Moore, a Republican who represents parts of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, said his office had reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for further information on the reported operation.

“I’m glad that they’re looking at doing that, and I’m glad at the way they’re approaching it,” Moore told reporters in Raleigh.

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U.S. Rep. Tim Moore backs Border Patrol operations in Charlotte as local leaders raise concerns about fear, safety, and immigrant community impact.

11/14/2025

Karen Hinkley, an attorney in Belmont, filed a lawsuit in Gaston County on October 30 claiming the city of Belmont violated North Carolina’s open-government laws when the city council removed workplace protections for LGBTQ employees in March.

The City of Belmont, a suburban community with a population around 15,000, is generally viewed as more politically moderate than the rest of Gaston County, where Donald Trump received about 62% of the vote in 2024.

In June 2020 Belmont added protections based on s*xual orientation and gender identity for its employees after a statewide moratorium on local nondiscrimination ordinances was due to expire.

Several other cities such as Asheville, Charlotte, and Durham also added protections for LGBTQ residents and employees around this time.

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A Belmont attorney sues the city, alleging officials secretly removed LGBTQ workplace protections in violation of North Carolina’s open-meetings law.

11/12/2025

As the federal government shutdown continues, deadlines for when some essential services that affect North Carolina residents will run out of funding are quickly nearing, or have already passed.

Food and nutrition programs. Federal court operations. Disaster relief funds.

All of these will be put on hold if the shutdown remains in place, to the detriment of many North Carolinians.

The political stalemate began on Oct. 1 after Democrats and Republicans in Congress failed to come to an agreement over a spending bill that was necessary to keep the government running.

Democrats stood firm on wanting to extend tax credits for the Affordable Care Act health insurance policies that were set to expire this year.

Republicans want to nix the subsidies that keep health care affordable for many Americans but cost the government billions of dollars each year.

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The federal shutdown is hitting North Carolina hard, threatening food aid, court operations, and Helene recovery funds as Congress stalls.

11/12/2025

The International Olympic Committee is considering a new global policy that could prohibit transgender women from competing in female Olympic events.

IOC officials say no final decision has been made, but the organization’s medical and scientific director, Dr. Jane Thornton, recently presented research showing that individuals born male retain certain physical advantages even after lowering testosterone levels.

The findings have fueled expectations among members that a new eligibility policy may be announced within the next year.

An IOC spokesperson confirmed that the working group reviewing gender eligibility rules is still discussing the issue.

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The IOC is weighing a new policy that may bar transgender women from female Olympic events, citing fairness and scientific evidence.

11/12/2025

In early October, following surgery for issues purportedly related to complications for kidney stones, music legend and longtime LGBTQ+ ally Dolly Parton announced to her friends and fans via social media that she was recovering at home and doing fine. "I ain't dead yet," she posted.

In honor of her longtime commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, we've chosen another of Parton's favorite recipes for our annual collection of holiday eats: Walnut Pie.

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https://buff.ly/LCQaE3s

Celebrate the holidays with Dolly Parton’s favorite Walnut Pie recipe — a sweet Southern classic from the beloved icon and LGBTQ+ ally.