1. According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, women who identify as sexual minorities are three times more likely to face incarceration than that of the US adult population. The rate surprised even the lead author of the study.
2. Human trials for an injectable form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) started this week, with 4,500 participants testing the efficacy of the drug in eight countries around the world. The study will last for four years and researchers are expected to present results in 2021.
3. New York is taking to the school buses to combat bullying against LGBT students. The state’s nonprofit Cyr Foundation created a program aimed to teach bus drivers different ways to both handle students mistreating each other as well as managing their own beliefs.
4. Joe, an 8-year-old transgender boy from New Jersey, was kicked out of the Boy Scouts this week because of his gender. Understandably, people seem to be upset he isn’t allowed to perform extracurricular science experiments with his friend group because he was born female.
5. VIDEO OF THE DAY: Gay country music star Kevin Thornton’s new collaborative music project, Indiana Queen, released a (not safe for work!) 40-minute visual album that defies the traditional country genre. Give it a watch: