QM Weekly Update for August 31st, 2026
🏳️🌈⚖️ On August 21st, a federal appeals court upheld a 2023 resolution by the city council of Hamtramck, Michigan that banned Pride flags and other flags except for the American flag, the state flag, and flags representing residents’ native countries from being flown on city-owned flag poles.
More information:
"Federal appeals court upholds Hamtramck’s ban on Pride flags on city property"
- https://michiganadvance.com/briefs/federal-appeals-court-upholds-hamtramcks-ban-on-pride-flags-on-city-property/
🏳️🌈⚖️💃On Tuesday, a federal judge struck down a Texas law restricting drag shows in the presence of minors, stating that the law violates the First Amendment.
More information:
"Federal judge shuts down Texas drag ban: If you don’t like drag 'just don’t go'"
- https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/08/federal-judge-shuts-down-texas-drag-ban-if-you-dont-like-drag-just-dont-go/
"Judge cites Dolly Parton's bosom in ruling blocking Texas drag ban"
- https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/judge-blocks-texas-drag-ban
🏳️⚧️⚖️🏥 On Wednesday, a federal appeals court blocked the U.S. Department of Justice from obtaining medical records from trans minors who received gender-affirming care from the New York hospital NYU Langone, after the DOJ had appealed for the preliminary injunction put in place by a lower court to be repealed.
"Trans kids’ medical records remain private after Trump DOJ loses again"
- https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/court-denies-doj-transgender-subpoena
🏳️⚧️🏛️ On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report claiming that "gender ideology" is associated with "left-wing authoritarianism" and support for political violence, but the report has faced criticism over its use of an unvalidated scale to measure what it calls “gender ideology,” the framing of its survey questions, and other methodological concerns.
More information:
"New Trump admin reports says LGBTQ+ rights supporters more likely to be terrorists"
- https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/08/new-admin-reports-says-lgbtq-rights-supporters-more-likely-to-be-terrorists/
🏳️🌈⚕️ The Queering Medicine Provider Directory is a community resource that helps LGBTQ+ individuals in the Greater Lansing Area connect with affirming healthcare providers and services by maintaining an up-to-date, reliable, community-informed directory. Know an affirming provider around Lansing? Please share the provider submission form with them so they can apply to be included in our directory!
More information:
“Queering Medicine Provider Directory”
“Queering Medicine Provider Directory Submission Form”
- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1alQRVQP0rK6QRgcxKQ-OiJS-x6nt0o4NRdyX_soPeFo/edit
