Judge Rules Against Hobby Lobby In Transgender Discrimination Case

Hobby Lobby may have won its Supreme Court case on providing contraception to female employees, but the company was just defeated in court by one of its transgender employees who argued she was discriminated against while working for the craft giant.

Hobby Lobby employee Meggan Sommerville took the company to court after they denied her access to the store’s female bathroom and required her to provide multiple items that proved she underwent a gender change. As Think Progress reports, administrative Law Judge William J. Borah ruled that Hobby Lobby violated Illinois’ Human Rights Act, citing that Hobby Lobby’s request of proof that Sommerville underwent genital surgery is unfounded:

“Respondent contends that being anatomically correct makes a female however, absence of male genitalia does not make a female, as that could occur by illness or injury.

“Nothing in the Act makes any surgical procedure a prerequisite for its protection of sexual related identity. Therefore, Respondent’s unilateral surgical requirement is untenable.”

However, Borah’s order is a recommended ruling and requires the Illinois Human Rights Commission to affirm it in order for it to become official. Despite a step in the right direction, Sommerville’s work situation has not improved:

“It’s humiliating. I have had to restructure my life to watch how much I drink and eat before going to work in an effort to try to avoid using the restroom as much as possible but my fibromyalgia is aggravated with dehydration which just compounds the problem at work.”

Although Hobby Lobby created a gender-neutral bathroom for Sommerville, Judge Borah stated that it “segregates only her because of her gender identity, and perpetuates different treatment, contrary to the Act.” Sommerville continues to work for Hobby Lobby stating she truly enjoys her job and that quitting only serves to empower Hobby Lobby in further persecuting its transgender employees. Judge Borah’s ruling indicates that the state of Illinois is generally heading in the right direction for LGBT rights as Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law in August that bans the dangerous practice of conversion therapy on LGBT youth.

(Photo via Twitter)

The post Judge Rules Against Hobby Lobby In Transgender Discrimination Case appeared first on Towleroad.

Anthony Costello

Judge Rules Against Hobby Lobby In Transgender Discrimination Case

San Diego Mourns Fourth Trans Teen Lost to Suicide This Year

Beloved by his mother and father, Sarah and Mike Castle, and friends and family, Emmett Castle, a sensitive, quietly mature 14-year-old transgender boy in San Diego took his life Saturday morning at his father’s Mission Valley home, according to local news station KGTV. 

“He had a wisdom beyond his years” and a big heart, his mother told KGTV.

Castle began transitioning last summer, and his family immediately accepted him, encouraging him to attend meetings at the Hillcrest Youth Center at the San Diego LGBT Community Center. The Hillcrest Youth Center is the only drop-in and recreational center in San Diego County dedicated to the needs of LGBT youth.

His family sought medical help for Castle’s severe depression, but despite these interventions, Castle had previously attempted to take his life several times, his mother shared with to KGTV. She emphasized that there were no immediate warning signs that would have prepared the family for what happened Saturday morning, noting that the teen was excited about legally changing his name later in the month. 

Yet his mother reported that the physical changes of puberty were difficult for Castle, and his occasional misgendering at school upset him to the point where the teen would ask to be picked up by his father.

This is the fourth trans teen reportedly passing by suicide in the San Diego area this year. The Advocate last reported on the death of Kyler Prescott, another 14-year-old transgender boy, who was an accomplished pianist and activist for marriage equality and animal rights. Prescott, who died by suicide on May 18, was beloved by his family who affirmed him through his transition. Prescott and his’s family also attended local San Diego support groups for family members of trans youth. Their support mirrors the love shown to Castle by his family.

Taylor Alesana, a 16-year-old transgender girl near San Diego, took her life on April 2, while a gender-nonconforming teenager named Sage, also died by suicide in early March. Both Alesana and Sage were reportedly involved with the North County LGBTQ Resource Center, where Prescott also attended various group meetings. 

With the Castle family’s blessing, the young man’s aunt, Danielle Stickler, and family friend Allison Erickson, have set up the Emmett Castle Memorial fund as a GoFundMe page where the public may contribute funds towards funeral costs, with remaining donations to be given directly to the the San Diego LGBT Community Center.

In her discussion with KGTV, Castle’s mother urged family members of trans youth to love their child and seek help when it is needed.

To trans teens themselves, the grieving mother has a more urgent message:

“I just want them to hold on. The transition can be painful, but we love you. We love you.”

If you are a trans or gender-nonconforming person considering suicide, Trans Lifeline can be reached at 877-565-8860. LGBT youth (ages 24 and younger) can reach the Trevor Project Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 can also be reached 24 hours a day by people of all ages and identities.

Cleis Abeni

www.advocate.com/transgender/2015/10/07/san-diego-mourns-fourth-trans-teen-lost-suicide-year

Gay, Bisexual Men Report More Indoor Tanning, Skin Cancer

(Reuters Health) – – Sexual orientation may be a factor in a person’s risks of skin cancer and of using indoor tanning devices, suggests a new study.

Gay and bisexual men were up to six times more likely than straight men to use indoor tanning devices and to experience skin cancer while lesbian and bisexual women were about half as likely as straight women to do either, researchers found.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to directly prove a link between indoor tanning and an increased risk of skin cancer,” said Dr. Matthew Mansh, who did the research while he was a medical student at Stanford University in California.

Indoor tanning is linked each year to about 400,000 cases of skin cancer in the U.S., according to data cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The researchers write in JAMA Dermatology that previous studies suggested higher rates of indoor tanning and skin cancer among sexual minority men, but research was lacking on actual rates.

For the study, the researchers used data from a 2013 national health survey and a survey from California conducted in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2009.

The combined data included responses from about 78,000 heterosexual men, about 108,000 heterosexual women, about 3,100 gay and bisexual men and about 3,000 lesbian and bisexual women.

Based on the data, the researchers found the prevalence of skin cancer among gay and bisexual men ranged from about 4 to 7 percent, compared to about 3 percent among heterosexual men.

Gay and bisexual men were also between three and six times more likely to report indoor tanning than heterosexual men, the researchers found.

They also found that lesbians and bisexual women were 43 to 46 percent as likely as heterosexual women to indoor tan. They also had 56 percent as many reported non-melanoma skin cancers, the most common types of skin cancer, as straight women.

The study can’t say why indoor tanning and skin cancer rates differ by sexual orientation, said Mansh, who is now affiliated with the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.

He also cautioned that there are unmeasured factors that may explain some of the results, including rates of outdoor tanning and history of skin cancer screenings.

“Before we devote resources to trying develop target intervention programs, we have to understand why this group is at risk for elevated indoor tanning use,” said Aaron Blashill, who co-authored an editorial accompanying the new study.

A more general media campaign informing gay and bisexual men of their increased risk may be beneficial while that data is collected, said Blashill, of San Diego State University.

Dr. Eleni Linos, who is a co-author of the new study and affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, also researched the possibility of using Google’s advertising service to tell people about the dangers of indoor tanning and skin cancer.

In a separate paper published in the same journal, Linos and her colleagues report that they created three ads with information about skin cancer and tanning. The ads were shown about 236,000 times and clicked more than 2,000 times, although researchers can’t say whether the ads actually stop people from tanning.

SOURCE: bit.ly/1jO2VtV, bit.ly/1jO2XSs and bit.ly/1jO31l8 JAMA Dermatology, online October 7, 2015.

 

Also on HuffPost: 

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Real-Life Gay Dads Are Focus Of Star Wars-Themed Campbell Soup Commercial

You can almost hear the harpies One Million Moms shrieking already — all dozen of them — when they catch sight of this heartwarming ad for Campbell’s soup featuring real-life gay dads. Ahead of the December release of The Force Awakens, the company that’s served chicken noodle soup to generations of families just released a half-minute long commercial for their Star Wars-themed soup which features a gay couple and their son. In the ad, actors David Monahan and Larry Sullivan, who are married fathers in real-life, offer Darth Vader and Chewbacca impressions to entertain their young son Cooper. It’s a lovely reflection on the life of a modern family and perfectly fitting the “Made for Real, Real Life” campaign.

On Campbell’s Facebook page many of the comments have been positive so far and have complemented the soup company for being so progressive, and Campbell’s social media rep even offered a Star Wars-friendly response to the first commenter.

 

Then things take an ugly turn when the homophobes, conveniently forgetting that Facebook is also a queer-friendly company, feel the need to vomit their venom in a public venue.

So far there hasn’t been a response from the Moms. Their official Moms website indicates they’re still un-bunching their panties from the rainbow Doritos campaign (“This company joins the Christian bashers,” they proclaim), but stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy the ad that will warm your heart faster than a bowl of delicious chicken noodle soup.

Jeremy Kinser

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/jCRpp7ZLjog/real-life-gay-dads-are-focus-of-star-wars-themed-campbell-soup-commercial-20151007

Search Underway For Missing Transgender Person in Houston: VIDEO

Members of volunteer search organization Texas EquuSearch began a foot search this week for a Houston transgender resident who went missing early last month reports Advocate.com.

Darius Gatlin, 28, was last seen on Sept. 11 wearing a pink tank top, jean shorts and shoes with a flower pattern and had various tattoos of names and animals on their body. EquuSearch and local police confirm that Gatlin is transgender although Gatlin’s former boyfriend referred to them with male pronouns.

EquuSearch believes Gatlin may have been involved in dangerous activities but didn’t clarify exactly what Gatlin may have been involved with. Murders of transgender people reached a record high this year with 19 documented cases; a majority of those murdered were trans women of color.

Gatlin’s disappearance follows a similar pattern seen in Dallas this July as the badly decomposed body of missing transwoman Shade Schuler was found in a vacant field, marking her the 11th transwoman of color murdered this year and 13th overall at the time her body was discovered. Although police and EquuSearch are not considering Gatlin’s case a homicide yet, the disturbing prevalence of LGBT hate crimes in Texas strongly indicates Gatlin may have been the victim of a transphobic attack.

Watch a news report on Darius’ disappearance below:

(Photo via Facebook)

The post Search Underway For Missing Transgender Person in Houston: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Anthony Costello

Search Underway For Missing Transgender Person in Houston: VIDEO

Tennesee County Snubs Antigay Resolution Seeking 'God's Mercy' for Marriage Equality

A resolution “condemning judicial tyranny and petitioning God’s mercy” introduced in a Tennessee county as a response to nationwide marriage equality was shunned Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

The resolution was scheduled for a vote, but according to the AP, the meeting in Blout County was adjourned before one could be held.

After the sudden vote to end the meeting, some of the 150 attendees expressed disbelief, shouting “Cowards!” and “You’ve got to be kidding me!” the wire service reported.

The resolution, which was introduced by Blount County Commissioner Karen Miller, asks the county to call upon Tennessee elected officials “to protect Natural Marriage, from lawless court opinions” and makes mention of “Sodom and Gomorrah” and “the Passover Lamb.”

Miller, who voted against ending the meeting, told the AP that the adjournment was “not fair to the citizens. They’ve come a long way to speak, and they should be allowed to speak.”

Neither supporters nor detractors seemed to know what the committee’s adjournment vote meant for the resolution in the long run, noted the AP.

Miller told the wire service that she would “most likely” reintroduce the resolution.

Inside the meeting, which was filled to capacity, the majority of attendees were wearing red to signify support for marriage equality, reports the AP. Approximately 100 people wearing red were also gathered outside the Blount County Courthouse, where the meeting took place.

One marriage equality supporter spoke out outside the meeting in the video below:

Elizabeth Daley

www.advocate.com/marriage-equality/2015/10/07/tennesee-county-snubs-antigay-resolution-seeking-gods-mercy-marriage

Lesbians Who Tech: I Have Seen the Future and It Is Filled With Brilliant Lesbians
Eight hundred queer women and a smattering of men crowded into an auditorium at NYU Law School Friday for the annual Lesbians Who Tech (LWT) Summit, an event that rotates between San Francisco and New York City in the U.S. and has now branched out globally. While there have been five such events, including this one, this was my first.

I don’t work in tech. I work in philanthropy and I’m a writer. No, not a tech writer, just a plain old writer. Did I mention old? I’m 59, a bit further along in years than the demographic seated around me. In fact, I was taken aback when one speaker actually apologized for the fact that she is 52 years old. But no matter. My inner geek shines bright and I’m always game for any event that has lesbian in the title, so I didn’t let any of these issues get me down.

To say I was astounded and amazed is a bit of an understatement. In one of the many videos we were shown that day, Kate Kendall, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and a San Francisco Lesbians Who Tech attendee said, “This is the new generation. This is the new leadership. I don’t have to worry. We’re gonna be fine.” I couldn’t agree more.

Some Great Stuff About the Lesbians Who Tech Summit
1. The Secret Weapon: Founder Leanne Pittsford – She’s energetic, charismatic without being arrogant or unapproachable, and she knows how to build stuff. Pittsford, a former tech entrepreneur and investor with strong LGBT movement experience, is the driving force behind this organization and these events. She’s going places and she’s bringing everyone with her.

2. They Walk the Talk on Diversity: Pittsford said it herself from the stage — if you don’t start something with everyone, it’s very hard to walk it back. So at the LWT Summit, women of color were represented in greater numbers than I’ve seen anywhere other than at Creating Change. From the stage emcees to the presenters, to the women pitching their business ventures to judges and to the audience as well. This was no gesture of tokenism. It was the real thing. And what’s more, there’s a genuine effort to ensure a welcoming environment for and inclusion of trans women, including keynote speaker Martine Rothblatt, one of the most high-powered and innovative thinkers in the biotech industry.

3. The Summit Attracts Superstars: In addition to Rothblatt, who’s been featured on the cover of New York Magazine, the Summit has consistently featured the country’s Chief Tech Officer, Megan Smith, a former top manager at Google, and one of the highest ranking openly-LGBT members of the Obama Administration. This year, Smith had the pleasure of interviewing attorney Roberta Kaplan and her famous client, Edie Windsor, a former Senior Systems Developer at IBM. This was one of the few occasions where the audience was hungry to hear about Windsor’s years working as a very closeted lesbian at IBM in the 1960s. And Windsor, to everyone’s delight, didn’t hold back.

4. The Summit Goes Way Beyond Career Issues: While LWT is dedicated to increasing the numbers of women, lesbians, trans people and people of color (including those at the intersections of all these identities) in the tech industry, the Summit is much more than a career conference. Several of the most inspiring presentations focused on social justice issues. From Nicole Thomas, who talked about Hack Cleveland’s efforts to address police violence in Black communities to Aliyah Rahman, who challenged us make sure young people are learning that tech role models go beyond Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and should also include the queer women behind Black Lives Matter.

Some Stuff Lesbians Who Tech Could Do Better
1. Flex the TED Talk Model: The Summit consists of a string of stage presentations in the main auditorium with some break-out sessions. While the choice of speakers is excellent, it would be so amazing if those of us in the audience could either ask questions or, better yet, have the opportunity at smaller roundtables to actually talk to these women.

2. Recognize That Some of Us Have Kids: One of the videos showed a picture of US CTO Megan Smith with her wife and children, yet there was no discussion at all about how tech jobs impact family life. And they do. As someone who was partnered with a software engineer in the past, I can personally testify that it isn’t always easy. How about some honest discussion about these issues at the Summit.

3. Invite More Critical Perspectives: While speakers wowed us with all of the tech-related possibilities in store for us in the future, there was no pushback on issues like data privacy. Also, in one session, Stephenie Landry, a high level manager from Amazon.com who was quoted in the recent New York Times article on what it is like to work at Amazon, was interviewed by a journalist from Wired. I imagine because Landry is “one of us” and felt wronged by the article, she was given free range to state her perspective. But the journalist failed to do her job. The softball interview shied far away from some of the more damaging accusations in the Times article. I still want to know if Amazon encourages employees to tattle on one another to management and then fires those ranked lowest, even if they are performing well. Landry and her interviewer were silent on such issues. The Summit needs to challenge its people a bit more.

There’s always room for improvement, and really, if the LWT Summit didn’t change a thing, it would still be one of the best events going in our community. There’s nothing like it out there. I mean, really, what other tech conference begins a plenary session with a quote by Audre Lorde?

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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LGBTI job seekers invited to Apprenticeship Careers Show

The Apprenticeship Careers Show – formerly the Diversity Apprenticeship Careers Show – returns to the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, this Friday (9 October).

Despite the name change, organizers will again be hosting a range of exhibitors that they say ‘want to invest in a diverse and inclusive workforce.’

Firms that will have a presence at the event include online fashion retailer Asos, Transport for London, Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship, Telegraph Media Group, Accenture, the Army and Royal Navy, and financial institutions Lloyds of London, RBS, TSB, among others.

Sarah Garrett, the event’s founder, is also the promoter of the annual British LGBT Awards and the upcoming Diversity Careers Show (returning to London’s Royal College of Surgeons on 23 October).

She said in a statement, ‘The Apprenticeship Careers Show is a fantastic way of introducing employers to the diverse pool of talent within the UK. It’s great to see so many employers who want to invest in an inclusive workplace and that starts with 15-year-olds who are still at school.

‘The event is a great opportunity for people to have their career horizons expanded, learn new skills and come face to face with real life employers.’

‘Over the past few years, companies in Britain have recognized the need to invest in people from all walks of like,’ she told Gay Star Business. ‘Having a diverse mix of talent, whether they are straight or LGBTI, makes business sense and creates a positive atmosphere in the workplace.’

Besides exhibitors offering advice to attendees, there will be a range of workshops, covering such topics as: filming a video application on a smartphone; what employees can find out about applicants via social media; communication skills; and a talk from actor and musician Ryan Gibb on the subject of following one’s dreams.

The event, which is aimed at 15-24 year olds, is free to attend for those who register in advance on the official website.

The number of people taking up apprenticeship places dipped in England in 2014, but as part of its election manifesto in early 2015, the Conservative government set a target of creating 3million new apprenticeships over the course of this Parliament.

Last week, Business Secretary Sajid Javid commented on the fact that that apprentices aged 16-18 years would get a 20% increase in their wages from 1 October, going from £2.73 an hour to £3.30 an hour. He said that the increase was to ensure, ‘that apprenticeships remain an attractive option for young people.’

Commenting on the wage increase when it was first announced in March, Martin Doel, Association of Colleges chief executive, told FE: ‘The increase to the minimum wage for apprentices is very welcome in recognizing the value that apprentices provide to employers and in recognizing the costs that many apprentices have in transport and living costs.

‘It makes the apprenticeship route still more attractive to young people seeking to earn while they learn.’

The post LGBTI job seekers invited to Apprenticeship Careers Show appeared first on Gay Star News.

David Hudson

www.gaystarnews.com/article/lgbti-job-seekers-invited-to-apprenticeship-careers-show/

Figure Skating Champion Comes Out as Gay

Adam Rippon, a U.S. figure skating champion, came out as gay in an interview this month.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/figure-skating-champion-comes-out-as-gay?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Someone’s Going To Die Because Of Gay Marriage, Says Right-Wing Wacko

Rick Wiles, host of the End Times radio program Trunews, thinks a lot of blood will be shed since conservative Christians haven’t done their part to fight the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling, reports Right Wing Watch.

Visiting The Jim Bakker Show, Wiles said that signs of the imminent apocalypse are everywhere, including “hundreds of thousands of Christian schoolkids going to elementary school, putting their thumb on the scanner to get school lunch.”

Bakker steadfastly agreed, adding that “it’s going to take a shaking… a vicious, hellish time to wake us up because we are going along with the systems, we are sheep going to the slaughter.”

According to Wiles, Christians’ failure to stand up to the Supreme Court “is how we got to June 26, 2015, and they changed marriage because they knew the Christians wouldn’t stand up because we gave them decades of being passive. Now it’s going to cost us dearly, Jim, to stand up. It’s going to cost us now. Somebody’s going to jail, somebody’s going to die, somebody’s going to suffer.”

Wiles continued:

“I’m not advocating violence, but I’m saying, look at Kim Davis in Kentucky. The ruling elite of this country, there are two things that they will crush: They will crush anybody who tries to stop abortion and anybody who speaks against homosexuality, those are the two things they’ll crush. They came down on her, I mean, U.S. federal Marshals took that woman to jail in the United States of America and where’s the outrage?”

Watch his rant below.

Jeremy Kinser

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/L2GNou-Em2I/someones-going-to-die-because-of-gay-marriage-says-right-wing-wacko-20151007