Advocate NL 8/7/26

Happy Friday, folks! Audience Editor Edgar Ramirez here, back in your inbox.Christopher Wiggins reports that Todd Blanche appears poised to become the nation’s next attorney general after a pivotal Republican senator announced Friday that he would support President Donald Trump’s nominee, even as the Human Rights Campaign warned that Blanche has already used the Justice Department to target transgender people and civil rights organizations.Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said that he would vote to confirm Blanche, Trump’s former personal defense attorney who has served as acting attorney general since April following Pam Bondi's exit (April seems so long ago, doesn't it?) Cassidy’s support appears to give Blanche the votes he needs despite opposition from Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.“The last thing Todd Blanche deserves is a promotion,” Sharon McGowan, HRC’s senior vice president of policy and litigation, said in a statement to The Advocate.It's hard to disagree when you take into account Blanche's record. He'll be (officially) overseeing a Justice Department that just pressured the third medical institution to enter into a settlement agreement with this administration. Jacob Ogles has that unfortunate story here.Don't worry folks, we won't leave you entering the weekend on a low note. In case you missed this earlier, we think you'll enjoy this roundup of the president of the United States -- but feel free to let us know what else we might have missed!Have a great and safe weekend, we'll be back Monday!Can we count on you to support LGBTQ+ journalism? Your valued gift will help continue our legacy — at a critical time in our history as the Trump administration launches repeated attacks against our community. Become an Advocate supporter by choosing your gift amount and frequency; you can cancel any time.Opinion: These LGBTQ+ Virginia kids found support and community in school. Then, bigoted adults took that awa