OutSmart Magazine

07/09/2025

The Justice Department is suing California for allowing trans girls to compete in girls sports, saying the policy violates Title IX. California has refused to alter its approach, setting up another legal clash in the growing national debate over transgender rights in schools.

The Trump administration has sued California over policies allowing transgender girls to compete on girls’ sports teams, a move LGBTQ advocates say is a direct attack on transgender youth.

07/09/2025

Erica and Kristen Williams launched THrō Ceramics as a way to merge art, business, and community. Based in Galveston, the couple has grown their ceramic brand through intentional collaboration, creative innovation, and a shared commitment to making space for everyone.

Galveston’s Erica and Kristen Williams turned a shared love of art, community, and each other into THrō Ceramics, a creative small business centered on handmade pottery and authentic connection.

07/08/2025

Lenacapavir, the first long-acting injectable PrEP for HIV prevention, has received FDA approval. With strong trial results across genders and regions, its simplified dosing could help reduce stigma, improve adherence, and expand access to HIV prevention globally.

Lenacapavir, the first FDA-approved, twice-yearly injectable PrEP for HIV prevention, shows 96% efficacy and offers unprecedented convenience, marking a major milestone in global HIV prevention efforts.

07/08/2025

Houston’s favorite summer musical tradition is back. Tamarie Cooper’s 'Another Ding-Dang Tamarie Show' delivers big laughs, backstage secrets, and bold performances, including two standout cast members who share what it means to live authentically and beyond the binary.

tamarie-catastrophic-summer-musical

07/07/2025

Our July 2025 digital issue highlights Galveston’s THrō Ceramics, community leaders, Arts & Entertainment, and more. Check it out online now! https://tinyurl.com/OSMJuly25

07/07/2025

Security Alert: LGBTQ Media Scam

OutSmart is warning fellow LGBTQ media organizations about a targeted scam reported by Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff.

Scammers are impersonating producers from LGBTQ-friendly podcasts to set up fake interviews. During a Zoom call, they ask you to log into your Facebook admin page and share your screen—giving them access to your account.

One publication has already had its page deleted.

Do not share your screen or log into admin accounts on Zoom calls.
Alert your teams. This appears to be part of a coordinated right-wing effort to disrupt q***r media.

—OutSmart Magazine
Source: Kevin Naff, Washington Blade

07/07/2025

Mercury retrograde is often blamed for delays, but this one could help you tie up loose ends, revisit stalled projects, or reconnect with your roots. We've got your good days, your red-flag dates, and everything in between. Read on to see what this month has in store for you.

Mercury retrograde begins July 18, urging a pause on new plans. Use this time to revisit old projects, reconnect with others, and reflect before moving forward in August.

07/07/2025

After hearing from kids who didn’t feel safe in sports, Khalen Saunders decided to act. The Saints defensive tackle is launching a football camp in his hometown for LGBTQ youth, aiming to change toxic sports culture from the ground up.

NFL defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, inspired by his LGBTQ brother, is launching a first-of-its-kind youth football camp for q***r and allied youth—an effort to change sports culture from within.

07/06/2025

Catch John Nechman on Houston Matters!

OutSmart contributor and Katine Nechman McLaurin LLP partner John Nechman will be live on KUHF 88.7 FM this Monday, July 7 at 9 AM, discussing the Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship.

Listen live: houstonpublicmedia.org/listen-live

Thank you to our advertiser and friends at Katine Nechman McLaurin LLP!

On Monday, July 7th, 2025 at 9 am, Katine Nechman McLaurin LLP partner John Nechman will be the guest speaker on KUHF Houston Public Media's Houston Matters show, FM 88.7 (or online at https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/listen-live/ ) discussing issues involving the Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship.

07/02/2025

In a move aligning with the Trump administration’s escalating rollback of trans rights, UPenn will bar transgender women from women’s sports and erase swimmer Lia Thomas’ records. The university says it will now follow “biology-based” definitions under Title IX—an approach many advocates see as discriminatory and politically motivated.

UPenn will bar trans athletes from women’s teams and remove Lia Thomas’ swimming records under a Title IX agreement with the Department of Education as a result of the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown.

07/01/2025

The ripple effects of the Supreme Court’s ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti continue. On Monday, justices ordered new reviews of several cases that had previously protected access to gender-affirming care and affirmed transgender rights on official documents.

The Supreme Court vacated rulings that protected access to gender-affirming care and birth certificate changes, instructing lower courts to reconsider them in light of its decision upholding Tennessee’s trans care ban.

06/30/2025

Despite government threats, Hungary saw its biggest Pride march ever, as tens of thousands protested Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s anti-LGBTQ policies. “This isn’t just about LGBTQ+ rights,” one marcher said. “It’s about not allowing them to oppress us.”

Approximately 100,000 people marched in Budapest’s Pride parade Saturday, defying a government ban in what organizers called the largest LGBTQ demonstration in Hungary’s history and a rejection of Prime Minister Orbán.