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An executive order designed to protect people providing and receiving gender-affirming care was signed by New York City mayor Eric Adams on Monday. Executive Order 32, signed in celebration of Pride, prevents the use of city resources to investigate, detain or prosecute anyone providing or receiving care. It’s a measure similar to one cities have taken to try to protect abortion rights after the reversal of Roe v Wade. New York as a state has not passed any restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, which remains legal across the Northeast. But Mr Adams’s measure comes at a time when the transgender community has been under a sustained attack from Republican party officials who have introduced more than 400 bills in state legislatures targeting LGBT+ people so far this year. Twenty states have already passed laws limiting or banning gender-affirming care for minors, with more states actively considering bans. “As states across the nation continue their onslaught of attacks on our LGBT+ neighbors, New York City is doing what we have always done — standing up for justice and against discrimination,” Mr Adams said in a statement on the executive action. “This executive order reaffirms the fact that hate has no place in our city and that all people deserve the right to gender-affirming care and protection against prosecution for being who they are.” The spirit of Mr Adams’s order is aligned with advisories from a number of major medical associations like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which have said that gender-affirming care is safe and can be lifesaving. The number of people who transition and express regret about it later is believed to be at or less than one percent. For some of them, the regret was temporary. Some see attacks on gender-affirming care for children as part of a broader assault on the bodily autonomy of people who are not cisgender men. A number of the states that have passed bans on gender-affirming care have also passed limits or effective bans on abortion care. Some people in such states have been forced to move to other areas without such restrictions. New York is a place of particular import for the LGBT+ movement, as it is the site of the Stonewall riot and one of the country’s largest and most visible LGBT+ communities. It’s annual Pride parade is set to take place on 25 June. Read More Republicans in Oregon Senate end six-week walkout that blocked bills on abortion, trans health care Texas family moves so trans teen can escape anti-LGTBQ laws: ‘I’d rather be out than dead’ US prepares for potential end of Roe v Wade - live When will there be a Roe v Wade decision? Why these prosecutors are refusing to enforce anti-abortion laws

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While Formula 1 may be struggling to invigorate the spectacle of racing amid another anticipated year of Red Bull dominance, one area it is not struggling in is the off-track coffers. With more races than ever before, and the bumper profits that go with it, an inevitable side-effect is wandering eyes from afar. The sport’s governing body, the FIA, has thus opened an “expressions of interest” process in January for new potential teams to join the current 10-team grid, perhaps as soon as 2025. Enter Calvin Lo: a Hong Kong-based billionaire. CEO of R.E. Lee International, the world’s largest life insurance broker, the 45-year-old has been “hooked” on the sport since glimpsing Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari on TV in the early 2000s. A trip to Shanghai for the first Chinese Grand Prix in 2004 underlined that adoration. But now, spectating from the paddock isn’t enough. “I’m having serious discussions about getting involved right now,” he tells The Independent, from an office in Singapore, with all the paperwork lying in front of him. “There’s actually quite a few proposals in front of me right now to see how I can participate. “F1 needs more teams. There’s too many talents in motorsport to not have more teams. But when I go through it, it is highly aspirational and absolutely, very ambitious. Still, I’d loved to be involved financially.” But not at the cost of his reputation. Financial prudence and sustainability are at the forefront of his thinking, with the extended FIA deadline for applications closing on Sunday. The entrance fee for any new team is $200m, shared by all the current teams. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has previously remarked that $1bn is realistically required to fight at the front, a figure Lo agrees is “fair” given the basic costs of recruitment and car development. “I won’t get myself into that vicious cycle where I can’t hit those financial markers,” he says, adamantly. “Putting money into the team is not the difficult part. It’s making sure it’s sustainable; otherwise it’s embarrassing for everyone. It’s very intricate, even with an established group of people, with all the sponsorship and the detail. “But there’s so much potential in this part of the world – it’d be so advantageous to the Asian community and to the F1 ecosystem.” Audi have already confirmed their entry in 2026, taking over from Alfa Romeo (Sauber), while American giant Ford has partnered with Red Bull for the world champions’ new powertrains division. While Lo was tight-lipped about naming potential partnerships, he did emphasise his eagerness to join forces with a new team via the current FIA process. Confirmed bids from Andretti Cadillac, as well as a mooted submission from junior formula outfit Hitech GP, were ruled out. An association with Panthera Team Asia, therefore, seems most probable at this point. Lo also has a financial link with Williams’ F1 team, who were bought by private investment firm Dorilton Capital nearly three years ago, but non-disclosure agreements preclude him from elaborating further. He was insistent, however, that any new team would not present a conflict of interest. Instead, his new venture, likely based out of Asia, would be his primary focus. The continent is a “huge untapped market” for the sport, in Lo’s view, amid the Americanisation of the sport witnessed at the weekend in Miami. An academy for drivers and academics alike is also a target. “To truly make F1 global, we cannot forget this part of the world,” he says. “There are races, but the penetration is not high and it’s wasted. “I would love to have an Asian team with a base in the Pearl River Delta [the wealthiest region in south China]. The initial few seasons would be tough but it’s important for the sport to have more exposure and commitment here. “It’d be great to have an academy here. Recruiting talents not just for F1, but aeronautics and legal avenues. For young people to be exposed to this kind of world, it could change someone’s life. “With [F1’s new regulations in] 2026 and the net-zero target of 2030, now is the perfect time to be involved behind the scenes.” Working in the shadows is just how Lo operates. Widely publicised as the “secretive” or “under-the-radar” billionaire – who has a net worth of $1.7bn (£1.3bn) according to Forbes – he covets privacy, despite a lucrative lifestyle which includes owning a suite of supercars and a collection of tip-top champagne, with a single batch costing $230m. “If I go into F1, you won’t see me,” he reveals. “It’s not my style. It’s also partly to do with my main business and working with clients. “In my view, the wealthier you are… you don’t go out and flaunt it. Well some do, most don’t!” McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes there will be at least four prospective teams interested in joining the sport, while F1’s regulations cater for only two more spots. Lo has been included in an initial application to play a financial role – even if he won’t be the face of said new team – and the FIA intends on making a decision about which teams will be granted a shot at the big time by the end of June. “By 2026, it will be a different world we live in and it’d be pretty amazing to be part of that change,” he concludes. “It’s now about looking at all the plans and making a decision truly from a financial point of view. “The skeleton is already there. It’s now just getting everyone to commit themselves.” Read More FIA formally opens applications for new teams to join F1 grid Andretti joins forces with General Motors to target Formula 1 entry FIA boss ‘surprised’ at ‘adverse reaction’ to Andretti’s F1 bid with Cadillac Aussie billionaire David Dicker enters race for new team to join F1 grid Ford to rejoin Formula 1 as engine partner for Red Bull from 2026