Category: Latest News

25 Hours and 5 Minutes: What Difference Can a Day Make

by: Anthony Corona

 

  He began by invoking the spirit of “good trouble,” and concluded with a fervent call to action. Senator Cory Booker’s historic 25-hour and 5-minute speech on the Senate floor was not merely an exercise in endurance; it was a profound testament to the urgency of our times—a moral alarm bell sounding against policies and actions that are tearing at the fabric of our democracy and threatening the American way of life.

Blind LGBT Pride International stands in solidarity with Senator Booker, applauding his unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and the very soul of this nation.

  In surpassing the previous record held by Senator Strom Thurmond—who infamously filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1957—Senator Booker not only etched his name into the annals of Senate history but symbolically overturned a dark chapter of obstructionism rooted in hate and injustice. As Booker reflected:  “I’m here because as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful.”  That is the essence of the American dream—ordinary people standing together to demand a better future.

  Throughout his impassioned address, Senator Booker laid bare the profound consequences of recent executive actions and policy proposals—decisions that place corporate interests over human dignity, silence voters, jeopardize the retirement security of millions, and marginalize the very workers who keep this country running.  “These are not normal times in our nation,” he warned. “The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.” 

He spoke of farmers struggling under unfair subsidies that reward the largest agribusinesses while small family farms go under. Of migrant workers who harvest the food on our tables while being vilified, underpaid, and denied pathways to citizenship. He read aloud letters from Americans fearing the erosion of Social Security—our most basic promise to generations who have labored with the expectation of dignity in retirement.  Booker reminded us of a nation where the right to vote is under siege—from voter ID laws designed to suppress marginalized communities to the gutting of the Voting Rights Act that once stood as a proud achievement of bipartisan courage.

These aren’t isolated actions. They are part of a deliberate dismantling of the pillars that uphold the American dream.  “We cannot allow ourselves to become numb,” Booker urged. “We must not let injustice become normalized or our silence become complicity.” 

He also highlighted the administration’s attempts to roll back protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals, including the ban on transgender Americans serving in the military—a move Booker termed “deplorable and despicable.”  Such actions not only undermine the rights of LGBTQIA+ citizens but also erode the inclusive values that define our nation. 

Moreover, Booker addressed the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, condemning budget cuts that threaten essential services and accessibility. He emphasized that neglecting the needs of disabled Americans is a betrayal of our collective responsibility to ensure equality and dignity for all. 

Blind LGBT Pride International echoes this urgent call to action. While few can command the Senate floor for over 25 hours, each of us possesses the capacity to contribute meaningfully. Whether through sharing Senator Booker’s message, contacting our representatives, or showing up in our communities, our collective voice is a force that cannot be ignored. 

Let us be clear: Executive orders have been signed that undermine environmental protections, defund diversity and inclusion initiatives, and roll back protections for transgender Americans. Policy decisions are endangering reproductive rights, sabotaging affordable healthcare, and prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy over basic human services. 

This is not the American way.  The America we believe in is a place where everyone—regardless of race, disability, gender identity, or zip code—has the right to dream, to vote, to retire with dignity, and to be heard. That is the America that Senator Booker stood up for—for over a day straight. 

We invite you to join Blind LGBT Pride International in our mission to illuminate truth and champion equality. Visit us at www.bpi.gay. Whether you can offer time, resources, or simply your voice, your involvement is invaluable. 

Let us honor Senator Booker’s courage—not just with applause, but with action. Let’s rise together in good trouble, and strive toward the nation envisioned not only in our founding documents but in the hearts of all who dare to dream of liberty and justice for all.  Because the difference a single day can make…is the difference between silence and resistance, between apathy and action.  Let us choose action. 

 

For more information about the speech and the Senator’s political positions, you may access the resources below. Note: The following links will take you to other websites.

 

For a visual summry, you can watch a summary of Senator Booker’s speech from the Associated Press.

 

You can also watch the full opening remarks of the speech from Senator Booker’s Senate page.

 

View the highlights of the historic 25-hour speech here.

 

Learn more about Senator Booker’s political positions from this Wikipedia article.

 

Anthony Corona
He/Him
 Host and Producer of Sunday edition

 

For more information about Sunday Edition, contact Anthony at sundayeditionac@gmail.com.

 

To know more about Blind LGBT Pride International, visit bpi.gay or send a message to media@blindlgbtpride.org.

Blind LGBT Pride International Celebrates Trans Day of Visibility

Blind LGBT Pride International stands unwavering in love, truth, and solidarity.

As we approach Transgender Day of Visibility 2025, we raise our voices not only in celebration but in fierce and unapologetic support of our transgender and non-binary family members. In the face of growing hostility, cruel rhetoric, and harmful legislation aimed at erasing our existence, we shine a powerful light through the darkness. Blind LGBT Pride International is here—resolute, unafraid, and united. To our most vulnerable siblings: You are not alone. You are valued. You are seen. Our community embraces your courage and your truth, and we affirm your right to live openly, safely, and authentically.

We call upon every member of our organization and every ally to act with urgency and compassion. Reach out to your local, state, and federal representatives. Flood their inboxes, phone lines, and social media with messages of support and protection for our trans community. Let them know that we will not be silent in the face of oppression. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. We will not stand by while our siblings are targeted—we will rise together.

Trans Day of Visibility is a powerful reminder that transgender people are not only valid—they are vital to the rich fabric of our LGBTQIA+ family. Today and every day, we celebrate the radiance of diversity, the strength of intersectionality, and the unshakable connection between the Blind and Low Vision experience and the broader LGBTQIA+ movement.

For more information, to support our mission, or to join us as a member or ally, please visit

www.bpi.gay.

Let us flood Capitol Hill with love, truth, and justice. Let us take action—because visibility without advocacy is not enough.

With Pride and Power, Blind LGBT Pride International

Happy Trans Day of Visibility. You are seen. You are loved. You are protected.

When They Pull the Plug, We Plug In: Corporate Abandonment of Pride and Our Call to Action

When They Pull the Plug, We Plug In: Corporate Abandonment of Pride and Our Call to Action
Buy: Anthony Corona.

Blind LGBT Pride International stands outraged yet galvanized by the news that major corporations—including Anheuser-Busch, Comcast, Diageo, and Jackson Family Wines—have pulled out of sponsoring San Francisco Pride 2025, leaving organizers scrambling to fill a $300,000 gap. These companies, many of whom have profited for years off the rainbow dollar, are now conveniently citing “budget issues” rather than acknowledging what we all know: their silence and abandonment are complicit responses to rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and political backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Let’s be clear—this is more than just a funding shortfall. This is a red flag for every grassroots, community-led, and marginalized Pride celebration across the country. If San Francisco, a city internationally recognized as a beacon of queer culture, can lose its corporate backing, what does that mean for Little Rock, Flint, Wichita, or any other small city relying on that support to even exist in Pride month?

Blind LGBT Pride International will not be silent. We will not allow this to pass unnoticed. Our Plan of Action:
1. Name Them. Shame Them. Hashtag Them. We will launch a coordinated social media campaign targeting these corporate sponsors who have turned their backs. Using platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Mastodon, and Threads, we will tag and call out: • @AnheuserBusch • @comcast • @guinnessus @SmirnoffUS @JohnnieWalkerUS • @jacksonfamilywines Suggested hashtags: • #PrideIsNotSeasonal • #RainbowCapitalismExposed • #FundOurPride • #NoPrideWithoutSupport • #ShameOnBud • #ShowUpOrShutUp
We encourage every LGBTQ+ person, ally, and community group to join us in flooding timelines with the truth. These brands were happy to collect LGBTQ+ dollars in June. Now they need to be held accountable.

2. A Coalition for Pride Funding Blind LGBT Pride International is calling on all LGBTQIA+ organizations—local, regional, and national—to band together in a united front to support grassroots fundraising initiatives for Pride celebrations across the country. From GoFundMe campaigns to mutual aid Venmo collectives, from virtual concerts to Pride merch fundraisers—this is the moment to reimagine how we support one another without waiting for corporate dollars to trickle down. We know our community has always been its own safety net. Let’s work collaboratively to amplify each other’s efforts, spotlight underfunded Pride events, and ensure that no city is left behind. Pride was born from resistance and solidarity. Let this be a return to that spirit.

3. Pride Has Been Hijacked by Corporations Over the last 15 to 20 years, Pride celebrations in many cities have morphed into sleek, overly sanitized spectacles tailored for sponsorships rather than the people. Advocacy has been replaced with ad campaigns. Representation has taken a back seat to corporate visibility. We’ve seen rainbow-washed product lines roll out every June, with prices jacked up and little transparency on where that money actually goes. Too many companies have used Pride as a moment to engage with a community that statistically has more discretionary income than our non-LGBTQIA+ counterparts—only to vanish when the political climate changes. Pride has always included our allies and welcomed broader participation, but it was never meant to be a marketing playground or a corporate strategy. This moment is a wake-up call: it’s time we reclaim Pride as a space for community, resistance, and true inclusion—not brand placement.

4. Pride Is Political. Resistance Is Required. San Francisco Pride made the bold and correct decision to cut ties with Meta after their rollback of DEI and LGBTQ+ policies. This should be the model. We stand with Executive Director Suzanne Ford and SF Pride organizers who are resisting sanitization and commodification in favor of integrity and visibility. Blind LGBT Pride International also calls on every Pride organization in the country to publicly list their sponsors—and their allies. Let’s shine a light on the corporations standing with us and those hiding in silence.

5. Accessible, Inclusive, and Independent As a blind-led organization, we also want to highlight the critical need for accessible Pride experiences. Without proper funding, accessibility gets cut first. We cannot let that happen. Our community deserves accessible stages, interpreters, audio description, and transportation support—because Pride belongs to all of us.

A Call to Our Community We know how to rally. We know how to organize. And we know that Pride has never been about flashy floats or corporate booths—it has always been about resistance, resilience, and visibility. Let’s use this moment not just to fill the gap in San Francisco—but to build stronger, more sustainable, and community-owned Pride celebrations everywhere. Let the corporations walk away. We’ve always had each other. In Pride and Power, Blind LGBT Pride International

Website: BPI.gay

Email: media@BlindLgbtPride.org
#FundOurPride #PrideIsPolitical #BlindQueerPower #SupportLocalPride

Yours,
Anthony Corona
He/Him
Host and Producer of Sunday edition
sundayeditionac@gmail.com

Blind LGBT Pride International Stands Against Texas House Bill

Blind LGBT Pride International Stands Against Texas House Bill 3817: A Call to Action
By: Anthony Corona

Blind LGBT Pride International is shining a light on Texas House Bill 3817 (HB 3817), a dangerous piece of legislation that seeks to criminalize transgender individuals simply for living as their authentic selves. This bill, introduced by Representative Tom Oliverson, would make it a felony for someone to identify their gender differently from their sex assigned at birth when speaking to government agencies or employers. If passed, it could result in up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine for transgender Texans. This is an outrageous attack on personal freedom, dignity, and truth. It is an attempt to erase the identities of transgender people under the guise of law, and we will not stand by in silence.

Blind LGBT Pride International is calling on our members, our allies, and the greater public—both within Texas and beyond—to act now before this bill gains traction.

Why This Bill Matters to All of Us HB 3817 is more than just another discriminatory law. It sets a terrifying precedent: that the government can police identity and criminalize individuals for existing. This is not just an LGBTQ+ issue—it is a fundamental human rights issue. For blind and disabled transgender individuals, the stakes are even higher. Many of us rely on government agencies for essential services, employment assistance, and benefits. If this bill passes, how many transgender people will be forced to deny their identity just to access the support they need? How many will face job discrimination with no legal recourse? How many will suffer in silence, fearing legal consequences for speaking their truth?

We refuse to let this stand. Flood the Offices of Representative Tom Oliverson and Texas Stakeholders The time to act is now. We must make our voices heard and send a clear message that HB 3817 is an unjust and unconstitutional assault on the transgender community.

Blind LGBT Pride International urges you to take the following steps immediately:
1. Call and Email Representative Tom Oliverson Demand that he withdraw this bill and cease his attacks on transgender Texans. Tell him that criminalizing identity is not only cruel but unconstitutional. • Capitol Office: (512) 463-0661 • District Office: (281) 858-3555 • Email: Contact Form
2. Contact Other Texas Representatives If you live in Texas, reach out to your local representatives and demand they oppose HB 3817. You can find your representative at Texas Legislature Online.
3. Engage Texas Business and Community Leaders Houston is home to a vibrant business community, including companies that have publicly supported LGBTQ+ rights. We must demand that they speak out against this bill. Contact major employers, advocacy organizations, and local leaders, urging them to take a stand.
4. Share This Message Use your platforms—social media, email, personal conversations—to spread awareness about HB 3817. The more people who know about this bill, the greater our power to stop it.

Join the Fight for Equality Blind LGBT Pride International is committed to ensuring that blind, disabled, and LGBTQ+ individuals live with dignity and without fear of government oppression. HB 3817 is an affront to that mission, and we are calling on all who value justice to rise up and fight back. This is our moment. Let’s shine a light on this injustice and ensure that it is stopped in its tracks. Call. Write. Speak out. Together, we can defeat HB 3817 and show that equality is not up for debate.

For more information and resources, visit Blind LGBT Pride International. We will not be silent. We will not be erased. We will fight—and we will win.
Visit: www.bpi.gay for more information, to support our mission and to join our growing community.

Footnotes 1. Texas House Bill 3817 Text. https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB03817I.htm 2. Texas anti-trans bill would charge people with ‘gender identity fraud’. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2025/03/11/texas-anti-trans-bill-transgender-gender-identity-fraud-state-felony-tom-oliverson-house-bill-3817/82261151007/ 3. Texas Bill Proposes Felony Charges for ‘Gender Identity Fraud’. https://www.transvitae.com/texas-bill-proposes-felony-charges-for-gender-identity-fraud/ 4. Representative Tom Oliverson Biography. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Oliverson
Yours,
Anthony Corona
He/Him
Host and Producer of Sunday edition
sundayeditionac@gmail.com

People’s union plans National Economic Blackout on February 28

A group of Americans has planned a National Economic Blackout on February 28, 2025. The blackout is in response to companies discontinuing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives as a result of a series of sweeping executive orders from Donald J. Trump.

Upon his inauguration, Trump issued

, an executive order ending all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) mandates, policies, and programs in the federal government. He also released an executive order mandating contractors and companies who work with the federal government to comply with the DEIA ban. The order labelled DEIA as illegal discrimination. Non-compliance can result to frozen funds and discontinued projects. As a result, companies like Walmart, Amazon, Google and Target have started eliminating their DEIA programs.

To respond to the dissolution of DEIA initiatives in the private sector, the People’s Union is planning a 24-hour national Economic Blackout on February 28. The blackout targets specific companies like Walmart and Amazon as well as fast food chains like McDonald’s. Read more about the blackout in this February 12 article by Newsweek’s Suzanne Blake.

As blind and visually impaired and LGBTQIA+ individuals, we benefit from DEIA policies and programs that prevent discrimination, promote fair and equitable access to information and ensure that spaces are welcoming and safe for all. There is nothing wasteful or illegal about diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, but the same cannot be said about waging war on vulnerable communities including disabled, LGBTQIA+, women, and BIPOC individuals. We are extremely disappointed and enraged by the actions of companies that have rescinded their DEIA initiatives to comply with what is obviously a morally reprehensible and mean-spirited act from Trump. 

BPI encourages our members, friends, and allies to take part in the National Economic Blackout on February 28. Our money is power and taking part in the blackout will hit them where it hurts the most—their bank accounts, even just for a day.

Believe in our collective power of NO! Save DEIA; Join the blackout!

Volunteering Becomes Family

BY: Gabriel Lopez Kafati
Covered with rainbow bumper stickers and equality license plates, a Toyota Prius became a staple of BPI. With Al Ellis at the wheel, and his inseparable wife Donna as co-pilot, their Prius traveled thousands of miles every year to be a part of ACB Conventions and other BPI gatherings.
In preparation for an ACB Convention to be held in Phoenix, then BPI President Don Brown thought of contacting the local PFLAG Chapter in search of volunteers who could help with BPI’s events. In a matter of minutes, he received an enthusiastic response from Donna. Once in town, BPI was blown away by the amazing preparations that Al and Donna had put in place to take care of even the smallest detail of the Convention. More than just volunteering, Al and Donna fell in love with BPI, and offered to assist in future conventions.
Since then, they started following BPI wherever the ACB Convention was being hosted. Al and Donna increased their involvement more and more with every passing year. More than volunteering, they offered BPI a sense of family.
From supermarket runs to adult-store visits. From mixing drinks to pouring wine. From greeting attendees at the BPI Suite to sharing jokes with friends. The couple would rejoice with first hugs and would cry with farewells at the end of each Convention. Quickly and surely, Al and Donna Ellis had completely earned the love of BPI.
Packed with leftover utensils, their Prius would take off back to Phoenix, just to be back in a different city the following year, full of those utensils, but more importantly, anxious to hug and kiss old and new friends.
Some of the best friends the Elis made, were the four-legged part of the family. Every year, they would make sure to pack all sorts of doggie snacks and toys. When BPI decided to offer up the Suite to the couple, it became easier for our guide dogs to find the Suite. This was a good way of convincing the couple to stay in the Suite. They fought with all their might to not take anything from BPI but love, hugs, and licks.
Being part of the BPI Family, Al and Donna also made sure the group grew in number and in love. After years of sharing their fun and love experiences with BPI, they sparked the interest of other PFLAG members who wanted to be a part of our family. Ron and Russ started joining us at Convention, and together with the Ellis, they became a beautiful quartet of volunteering and friendship.
Last year, just as we were starting preparations to celebrate BPI’s 20th Anniversary, our friend and father Al left us. Many of us called Donna to support and comfort her; but being the formidably amazing woman that she is, she ended up comforting us. After our 2020 Convention went virtual, we started making plans to have a love feast with Donna in Phoenix in 2021. Now that 2021 has also gone virtual, we will make sure that Donna is our guest of honor in 2022.
Today, BPI has named one of our awards: The Al and Donna Ellis Award for the Volunteer of the Year. Al’s legacy continues to bless BPI. His home PFLAG Chapter decided to honor his memory by presenting BPI with an amazingly generous gift. We are sure that Donna will continue to carry the torch for the couple, not only as part of the BPI Family, but also in their tireless fight towards equality in their community. Al and Donna Ellis came to BPI as volunteers; they became family; and they will live with us forever. In the words of Donna: “We receive more from you than what we give.” In this 20th Anniversary year, BPI expresses our immense love to this wonderful couple who came to stay!