John Riley

Washington, D.C.

Senior Editor at Metro Weekly

Senior editor for @metroweekly. Map and redistricting nerd. BOS/NE super fan. Matthew 6:5-6. Tweets/RT my own.

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Articles

Transgender Troops Given June Deadline to Leave Military

3 days ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

Pete Hegseth – Photo: Gage Skidmore via Flickr CCTransgender people in the military have until June 6 to “out” themselves and leave their respective branches if they wish to be eligible for voluntary separation pay, according to a Pentagon memo issued by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Transgender individuals in the reserves have until July 7 to do the same.
Salt Lake City and Boise Make Pride Flag a City Flag

3 days ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

Image source: slc.govSalt Lake City and Boise, two Democratic-controlled cities, have adopted the Pride flag as their official city flags in response to Republican-sponsored state laws barring unsanctioned flags — such as the Pride flag — at schools and government buildings. In Salt Lake City, the city council unanimously approved new designs incorporating the city’ emblem of a sego lily atop the traditional rainbow-colored LGBTQ Pride flag and the blue, pink, and white-colored transgender flag.
New Pope’s Past Anti-LGBTQ Remarks Raise Alarms

6 days ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

Pope Leo XIV – Photo: Catholic Church England and Wales via Flickr CCPope Leo XIV, the recently elected head of the Roman Catholic Church and the first U.S.-born pontiff, made hostile, anti-LGBTQ remarks about homosexuality and same-sex marriage more than a decade ago, sparking concerns in the LGBTQ community about whether he will be less welcoming than his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Condemns Gay Marriage in Handwritten Note

1 week ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, Photo: Official PortraitVirginia Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears took an unusual step last year to express her personal objection to a bill she was constitutionally required to sign as the presiding officer of the Virginia Senate. The bill in question, HB 174, is similar to the federal Respect for Marriage Act that was signed into law in 2022 by former President Joe Biden.
D.C. Opens Its First LGBTQ Senior Housing Community

1 week ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

Mayor Bowser cuts the ribbon to Mary’s House on Thursday, May 8The first housing community in the District of Columbia dedicated to LGBTQ seniors is opening its doors. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser cut the ribbon in a ceremony at Mary’s House for Older Adults, located in D.C.’s Fort Dupont neighborhood, at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 8.
Military Ban on Trans Americans Reinstated by Supreme Court

1 week ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

U.S. Supreme Court building – Photo: Jimmy Woo, via UnsplashThe U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the administration of President Donald Trump to implement its preferred ban on transgender military personnel while legal challenges to the policy are working their way through the courts. On Tuesday, May 6, the high court granted an emergency request from the Trump administration to lift a federal judge’s nationwide injunction blocking the Pentagon from enforcing the ban.
Lady Gaga Concert in Rio Was Target of Foiled Bomb Plot

1 week ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

Lady Gaga Copacabana Beach concertTwo people have been arrested in connection with a planned attack at a Lady Gaga concert on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro. According to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, the duo were part of an online hate group that was attempting to “recruit” people to carry out attacks at the May 3 concert by using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails. The group posed as “Little Monsters,” the name given to fans of Gaga, to recruit additional co-conspirators.
Tennessee Lets Doctors Deny Treatment on Moral Grounds

1 week ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

Photo: Online Marketing via UnsplashTennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, has signed a bill into law to allow healthcare providers the right to refuse to perform or pay for a procedure or prescription that runs counter to their personal moral, ethical, or religious beliefs.
Critics Say HHS Report Pushes Conversion Tactics

1 week ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a 400-page report rejecting gender-affirming care for minors and recommending “exploratory psychotherapy” instead as the preferred way to treat transgender youth suffering from gender dysphoria. Critics say “exploratory psychotherapy” is just conversion therapy by another name.
Police Raid Pittsburgh Gay Bar, Forcing Patrons Into Rain

1 week ago | metroweekly.com | John Riley

P*Town Bar – Photo: Google MapsP*Town Bar, a popular gay bar in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood, was hosting “Another Party Pittsburgh” last Friday, May 2. The regularly occurring event, hosted by local drag performer Indica, featured special guest Amanda Lepore, a legendary club performance artist.