New Treatment EBT-101 Could Provide a Breakthrough Cure for HIV

Excision Biotherapeutics’ groundbreaking HIV treatment, EBT-101, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to begin testing for its first phase of human trials. This new treatment relies on the Nobel Prize-winning, gene-editing technology CRISPR to successfully remove HIV proviral DNA from human cells. Scientists believe that this one-time treatment will “functionally cure” people from the virus, meaning only small traces of the HIV genome …

OnWord’s New Park for “Non-Traditional Skaters” in Chicago

Like many places, Chicago’s skate scene is dominated by straight, white cis men, oftentimes leaving women, people of color, gender-nonconforming and queer individuals feeling unwelcome or intimidated in skateparks. OnWord, a collective on a mission to empower “non-traditional skaters,” seeks to change that. For their most recent project, the group built their own pop-up park, called OnSite, where all people can feel safe and welcome. …

First-Ever US Passport Issued With “X” Gender Designation

In order to respect and reflect the “lived reality” for many, the first-ever US passport marked with “X” as the gender has been issued. The new gender designation option will hopefully give non-binary, intersex and gender-nonconforming individuals the opportunity to “live with greater dignity and respect,” says Jessica Stern, US special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights. Colorado navy veteran Dana Zzyym—who has been campaigning for …