Utah: Ex-Mormon billionaire boosts Equality Utah
NBC News reported on December 21 that Utah billionaire Jeff Green has left the Mormon church and will donate $600,000 to the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Utah. Green said that despite his belief that the church's members are "good people trying to do right," he believes "the church is actively and currently doing harm in the world." He went on, "The church leadership is not honest about its history, its finances, and its advocacy." Almost half of Green's donation will go to LGBTQ scholarship programs in the state. Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams said the organization is "incredibly grateful for Jeff's generosity and support." NBC added that Equality Utah has been successful in passing historic LGBTQ rights legislation in the conservative state by working with church leaders and the state legislature.

Pennsyvlania: School district bans books on gender identity
LGBTQ Nation reported on December 27 that the Pennridge School District in Bucks County has announced plans to remove "content regarding gender identity" from its elementary school libraries, so that only school counselors and administrators would have easy access. The order came via email from the Anthony Rybarczek, the district's assistant superintendent of elementary education, and framed the act as a matter of protecting students. The publication described the reaction of some school district members as "enraged," with one Gay parent, Erin Eagles, saying "We will not send our child to the school district. I'm terrified of [my child] feeling shamed or like she can't just talk about the most normal things, like her immediate family." Seventeen-year-old Trans student James Peuplie said that, unfortunately, the development was par for the course in Pennridge. ACLU Pennsylvania legal director Witold Walczak worried that shutting kids out from key resources and support could mean "some of these kids could get really hurt."