5 LGBTQ things you need to know today, April 13

1. The nation of Trinidad and Tobago is on the verge of decriminalizing homosexuality, after a judge’s ruling on Thursday that such laws are unconstitutional. According to NBC News, Justice Devindra Rampersad stated that “sections 13 and 16 of the [Sexual Offenses Act] are unconstitutional, illegal, null, void, invalid and of no effect to the extent that these laws criminalise any acts constituting consensual sexual conduct between adults.” These sections of the Sexual Offenses Act suggest penalties for homosexual intercourse. A final ruling is expected in July.

2. Alabama Senator Doug Jones (D) met with GLASS (Gays, Lesbians & Allies Senate Staff) on Wednesday, and discussed his commitment to LGTBQ equality. In December 2017, Jones beat Republican candidate Roy Moore for Jeff Sessions’s Senate seat. Jones recently became the 46th co-sponsor of the Equality Act. The Act would add gender and sexual orientation to current civil rights laws. Jones also quipped about his gay son’s Instagram account. “We’ve all seen it.” He added, “I’m happy to be there to defend him.”

3. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) aggressively questioned Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo during a Senate hearing. Pompeo is noted for his anti-LGTBQ beliefs. According to Towleroad, Booker asked Pompeo if he still thought that gay sex was “perversion.” (Pompeo has used that term in previous speeches). Pompeo said he still believed that gay people should not be allowed to get married. When Booker followed up with, “Do you believe that gay sex is a perversion? Yes or no?” Pompeo responded by saying: “I’m going to give you the same answer I gave you previously. My respect for every individual … is the same.”

4. Bravo’s Andy Cohen has been banned from Grindr. In an interview with Ellen, Cohen said he kept getting kicked off “because they think I’m impersonating ‘Andy Cohen.'” According to Queerty, in 2016, RuPaul Season 8 winner Bob the Drag Queen posted that his account also kept getting banned.

5. VIDEO OF THE DAY: FX has announced a premiere date for Ryan Murphy’s new series “Pose.” The program will feature TV’s largest cast of trans actors, and what is reportedly the biggest LGTBQ cast ever assembled for a scripted series. The preview is below: