In July 2021, the Chicago City Council passed the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance, which created a new model for police oversight, accountability, and public safety. The ECPS ordinance created District Councils to be comprised of several dozen…
Chicago is having a municipal election on February 28th! This is our opportunity to elect officials who will be responsible for making laws and regulations that affect the safety and health of all Chicagoans. Participating in municipal elections can have…
This legislative session, Howard Brown Health and a group of advocates and providers are supporting a legislation (SB 2427/HB 2280) that would establish cultural competency requirements as part of continuing medical education (CME) for healthcare providers. There is a strong…
Recently, Illinois concluded its lame duck legislative session and several crucial health equity bills supported by Howard Brown Health passed both houses of the Illinois General Assembly! Assault weapons ban: Protect Illinois Communities Act (HB 5471) With the increasing number…
Recently, the U.S. Senate voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act! The legislation now moves back to the House of Representatives for approval, then onto the President’s desk. The Respect for Marriage Act passed the Senate with strong bipartisan…
My name is Becs, and I am a policy associate at Howard Brown Health. I identify as trans-masculine and use they/them (and sometimes he/him) pronouns. I recently took the 2022 US Trans Survey (USTS), and wanted to share about why…
The Midterm Elections presented Americans with crucial issues to decide on and important offices to fill. Many of these issues deeply impact LGBTQ+ people, and particularly trans and non-binary (TNB) youth. In weeks leading up to the Midterms, many campaigns…
Due to the current surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the country, LGBTQ+ youth have increasingly become targets of harassment and discrimination. U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-R) recently introduced a national bill known as the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act…
Midterm elections have an incredible impact on our day-to-day life, but voter turnout for Midterms often lags behind Presidential elections. Even for voters who do vote in Midterm elections, much of the attention is focused on national races. It’s critical…
Breast/chest cancer is the most common diagnosed cancer in the U.S. with an expected 290,560 new cases in 2022. While there is limited data on overall rates of breast/chest cancer screenings, diagnosis, and health outcomes among LGBTQ+ individuals, a growing…
When it comes to advancing equitable and affordable healthcare for all, the idea of judges and court systems does not always immediately come to mind. However, the judicial system can have a profound impact on civil rights and access to…
Today, a U.S. District judge in Texas ruled that the ACA’s mandate requiring health insurance companies to cover PrEP violates the plaintiff’s religious rights. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a vital tool in the fight against HIV. We cannot get…