NBC Out

BOGOTA - Juan Viana recalls having a happy childhood in a Christian community in Bogotá but when he came out as gay at age 18, that all changed. "Unfortunately, that community of support became a place of deep repudiation of who I really was," said Viana, now 48. His family took him to a center for 'conversion therapy' - aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity - on the advice of a psychologist.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for the removal of rainbow crosswalks and other symbols of pride from public roads across Texas, saying they pose safety concerns and misuse taxpayer dollars. "Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways," Abbott said in a statement Wednesday. He directed the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure all cities and counties "remove any and all political ideologies from our streets" within 30 days.

BISMARCK, N.D. - A North Dakota judge has upheld the state's ban on gender-affirming care for children, in a blow to families who have had to travel out of state to obtain the medical treatments they said are crucial for their kids' well-being.

NEW YORK - A New York county's law banning transgender women from playing on female sports teams at county-run parks and recreational facilities has been halted for now. A state appeals court on Wednesday barred Nassau County from enforcing the ban while a legal challenge brought on behalf of a local women's roller derby league plays out.

LONDON - Nate Rae had always felt secure living openly since coming out as a transgender man in his late 20s - until a recent U.K. Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of biological sex changed everything. Now, Rae - a PhD student and science communicator who grew up in a small Scottish town before moving to London - says he finds himself constantly weighing risks and assessing where it is safe - or unsafe - for him to be.

Three of the nation's largest public school districts stand to lose $24 million after missing a Trump administration deadline to agree to change policies supporting transgender students, officials said Wednesday.

Actor-activist George Takei's next project is on behalf of a longtime passion - the right to read. The American Library Association announced Monday that the 88-year-old Takei will serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which takes place Oct. 5-11.

Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player who now serves as an ambassador for the league, is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, his family said Thursday. Collins announced he was gay in 2013, becoming the first publicly gay athlete to play in any of the four main North American sports leagues. He retired in 2014 after a 13-year career that included stops with the New Jersey Nets, Memphis, Minnesota, Atlanta, Boston, Washington and back to the Nets after they moved to Brooklyn.

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's attempt to subpoena medical records of transgender patients who received gender-affirming care at Boston Children's Hospital.

MADRID - When Diana, a bisexual Russian asylum seeker, took part in her first Madrid Pride festival last year, she was delighted to see people waving the white-blue-white flag that has become a symbol of Russian opposition to its war on Ukraine. She was also ecstatic to be among around 100 Russians who were waving LGBTQ flags and chanting, "Russia without Putin." It felt surreal, said the 24-year-old, who did not want to give her last name for fear of retaliation.