News Is Out

2 days ago | newsisout.com | Henry Carnell

Fruit Camp, a tattoo and art studio in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore, opened with a bang in February of 2020. “We had a big opening party. It was really fun. Everybody came,” says Geo Mccandlish, one of the co-founders. “It was the last rager I went to,” they said. The pandemic shut down their shop—alongside the world—for months, but the shop survived. “We just put our stimulus checks into keeping the rent paid,” says Emi Lynn Holler, the other co-founder.

1 week ago | newsisout.com | Ed Walsh

To say that Portland supports the LGBTQ+ community may be an understatement. Oregon’s largest city, with a population of 630,000, goes out of its way to honor the community. Portland became the first major U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, Sam Adams, in 2008, narrowly beating out Houston by a year for that honor. That tradition of acceptance has only grown since then. The city’s famed drag artist, Walter Willard Cole, who performed under the name Darcelle XV, died in 2023 at the age of 92.

2 weeks ago | newsisout.com | Dana Piccoli

The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. PEN America has filed a “friend of the court” brief urging the Supreme Court to reject a lawsuit by six Maryland parents seeking to opt their children out of lessons featuring LGBTQ+ themes. The organization argues the case threatens free speech, inclusive education and students’ access to diverse stories.

2 weeks ago | newsisout.com | Clinton Engelberger

The Trump administration has launched a series of executive orders and other initiatives attacking the transgender community since taking power in January, targeting military service, affirming healthcare and participation in sports. Though many executive orders are being challenged in court, it’s an uncertain time for a community that feels threatened. Despite the uncertainty, there are resources out there to help.

2 weeks ago | newsisout.com | Dana Piccoli

Fairmount Bicycles, a queer-owned bike shop focused on social justice through their programs and partnerships, began when its owner, Shelly Walker, rode from her home in West Philadelphia to Kensington. Before she arrived at the warehouse where she and a friend sold bicycles, she took in the sights of dense, vibrant Fairmount and wondered where the neighborhood’s bike shop was. This curiosity eventually drove her to make Fairmount Bicycles a reality.