February LGBTQ+ News Review

There is a fine line between being inundated and paralyzed by the news and being informed. This monthly news rundown is intended to straddle that line–to share LGBTQ+ news you may have missed without fear-mongering. 

As always, the 1-2 sentence article summaries are either pulled from the article (or in rare cases summarized by me). You can easily access the full article by clicking on the hyperlink in the article date. 

February 1 - “Russian fans of “Heated Rivalry” could end up in prison if they publicly declare their love for the show, but that hasn’t stopped the gay romance about two hockey players from becoming a word-of-mouth hit — and some are subtly displaying their affection.”

February 2 - “An Idaho House committee on Monday advanced a bill that would block local policies that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.  House Bill 557 would prevent local governments in Idaho from having or enforcing antidiscrimination policies that go beyond state law.” 

February 2 - “Tucson's LGBTQ community is looking to carry on public celebrations after the former Tucson Pride nonprofit dissolved in January after almost five decades.”

February 4 - “Three-time U.S. figure skating champion Amber Glenn, the most prominent LGBTQ female athlete in her sport, criticized the Trump administration during a pre-Olympic news conference with fellow U.S. skaters Wednesday morning at the 2026 Winter Games.”

February 5 - “As Uganda drops the first case brought under its Anti-Homosexuality Act, the fallout shows a justice system strained by political pressure, public fear and inconsistent enforcement.”

February 5 - “A bill prohibiting Iowa's public K-12 schools from teaching students about LGBTQ-related topics at all grade levels is advancing in the House and Senate as GOP lawmakers consider expanding what critics call the state's "Don't Say Gay" law.”

February 6 - “A coalition led by the ACLU of Oregon, Basic Rights Oregon and Planned Parenthood has announced it is ending a campaign to amend the Oregon Constitution to guarantee the right to health care for transgender people, abortion and same-sex marriage.”

February 10 - “U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, is calling for a congressional investigation into the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show headlined by Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny, falsely accusing the National Football League and broadcaster NBC of airing what he said was “gay pornography” and other explicit content during one of the most-watched television events in the country.”

February 10 - “U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has removed a large rainbow Pride flag that flew over the Stonewall National Monument, which marks the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement in New York City.”

February 10 - “For more than three decades, Gay Days Orlando has functioned as both pilgrimage and proof of concept: a rolling, red-shirted demonstration that queer visibility could be festive, that tourism could be political, and that a loosely organized day at the theme parks could grow into one of the largest LGBTQ+ travel events in the country. This week, its organizers said they are pressing pause.”

February 12 - “The Church of England's national assembly has formally abandoned proposals to deliver blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples in churches.”

February 16 - “Gallup estimates that 9% of U.S. adults personally identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual. This percentage is essentially unchanged from last year but remains more than double the 3.5% from 2012, the first year Gallup measured LGBTQ+ incidence. The current figure is also higher than readings of roughly 7% between 2021 and 2023.”

February 17 - “Turkey’s justice ministry is drafting legislation that would imprison people for publicly praising LGBT identity, criminalize same-sex engagement and wedding ceremonies and impose sweeping restrictions on gender transition, according to a report by the pro-government Türkiye daily on Tuesday.”

February 17 - “A new short film titled ‘PLAY ON’ is shedding light on the damaging effects of homophobia in football, and the importance of creating LGBTQ-inclusive spaces at all levels of the game.”

February 17 - “The Idaho House on Monday widely approved a bill that expands on the state's law banning transgender people from using their preferred school bathrooms. House Bill 607, written by the Idaho Family Policy Center, would allow people to sue if government entities and private businesses do not ensure their restrooms and changing facilities are separated by sex.”

February 18 - “A married couple from Azerbaijan says the Trump administration is keeping one husband locked in an immigration detention center in Georgia even though both men, one of whom is a legal permanent resident, have agreed to leave the United States immediately. Their case raises questions about why the government is continuing to hold him at all.”

February 18 - “The recent detention of 12 men in Senegal using homophobic laws have intensified concerns over the country’s criminalization of same-sex relations and the safety of people living with HIV and/or AIDS.”

February 21 - A former top general calls the military's removal of trans troops a costly mistake. 

February 22 - “Kansas is set to invalidate about 1,700 driver’s licenses held by transgender residents and roughly as many birth certificates under a new law that goes beyond Republican-imposed restrictions in other states on listing gender identities in government documents.”

February 22 -  “Being gay in Morocco is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison. But it was the violence from her family that forced Farah, a 21-year-old gay woman, to flee the country. After a long journey to the United States and a third-country deportation by the Trump administration, however, Farah said she is now back in Morocco and in hiding.”

February 22 - “Vanderbilt University Medical Center is ending gender-affirming surgeries for adults, a decision advocates said will make access to care even more limited in Tennessee.”

February 23 - “A 33-year-old gay Florida man was shot and killed early Sunday outside the LGBTQ+ nightclub Savoy Orlando, and a suspect has been charged, according to authorities.”

February 23 - “The new Dutch government will be sworn in on Monday, with 38-year-old centrist Rob Jetten set to be the country's youngest-ever prime minister and the first openly gay one.”

February 23 - “Puerto Vallarta saw widespread mayhem on Sunday, following the killing of a cartel leader during a Mexican military operation. According to CNN, the popular LGBTQ+ tourist destination may have been one of the cities hit hardest by retaliatory vandalism and destruction at the hands of suspected gang members, leaving tourists stranded and locals sheltering in place.”

February 23 - “Two months after a Texas bathroom law went into effect for government buildings, public officials there are still working through how to comply with the law’s vague language.”

February 25 - “Ugandan police have arrested two women, both in their 20s, after neighbours reported seeing them kiss outside, an act criminalised under the country's Anti-Homosexuality Act.”

February 25 - “Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Wednesday defended transgender rights in her State of the State address, a day after President Trump criticized gender transition in his State of the Union address.“In Michigan, everyone deserves to be who they are and love who they love. I want to take a moment and speak directly to our gay and trans neighbors, family and friends: I want you to know that you are welcome in Michigan,” Whitmer said in her address.”

February 26 - “Many congressional districts need new representation, and one of them most in need is Georgia’s 13th, says Everton Blair, a Black gay man who is one of several candidates challenging the incumbent in the Democratic primary there.”

February 26 - “The Kansas state government has invalidated the driver’s licenses and birth certificates of transgender residents who changed the gender on those documents, in accordance with a law that took effect on Thursday. The move affects more than 1,000 people. The law requires residents to change their gender identification to the sex they were assigned at birth, and also bans residents from changing their gender on those documents in the future.”