HRC Endorses Gina Ortiz Jones for U.S. Congress

Today, HRC announced its endorsement of Gina Ortiz Jones, who is running for U.S. Congress in Texas’ 23rd congressional district. If elected, Ortiz Jones would be Texas’ first openly LGBTQ person of color elected to Congress.

Ortiz Jones served in the U.S. military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), which banned gay, lesbian, or bisexual individuals from serving openly in the military. Repealed in 2010, the discriminatory law was in place for 17 years. Since serving, Jones has spoken out about the fear she experienced under DADT and her desire to never again be forced back into the closet. Ortiz Jones has made LGBTQ equality a priority in her campaign platform.

“Gina Ortiz Jones would be a consistent voice for equality in Congress and a trailblazing figure in Texas politics,” said Marty Rouse, national field director for the Human Rights Campaign. “HRC is proud to endorse Ortiz Jones and fight alongside her as she endeavors to make Texas a more fair place for all, no matter who they are, what they look like, where they’re from or whom they love.”

“From ensuring that our transgender troops continue to have the right to serve in our armed forces to protecting LGBTQ youth from discrimination in their classrooms, I look forward to working with the Human Rights Campaign to ensure that all LGBTQ Americans are protected under the Constitution and treated with the dignity we deserve,” said Gina Ortiz Jones. “I’m honored to receive the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign.”

In 2017, HRC had more than a dozen staff on the ground in Austin, and, working with scores of volunteer organizers, led field organizing efforts around the state to defeat anti-LGBTQ bills in the Texas legislature. HRC has worked alongside Equality Texas, ACLU of Texas, Texas Freedom Network, the Transgender Education Network of Texas and others to defeat dangerous or harmful bills that seek to undermine the rights and dignity of LGBTQ Texans. HRC continues to have full-time staff in the Lone Star State.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-endorses-gina-ortiz-jones-for-congress?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Open Photo Shoot in Charlotte, NC
Open Photo Shoot in Charlotte, NC

www.noh8campaign.com/event/open-photo-shoot-in-charlotte-nc-1

HRC Releases Hard-Hitting Video Highlighting Mike Pence’s Dangerous Record on HIV and AIDS

Today, HRC released a powerful new video calling attention to Vice President Mike Pence’s history of failures around HIV and AIDS prevention.

“Mike Pence has spent his career putting people in danger by denying them access to HIV prevention and treatment,” said Ashland Johnson, HRC’s Director of Public Education and Research. “From spreading misinformation about condom use, to contributing to a major outbreak of HIV and AIDS in his home state — Pence has been reckless with the health and lives of those he is sworn to serve, choosing to promote a dangerous ideology over making the right decisions for the American people.”

In 2002, Pence chided then-Secretary of State Colin Powell for his advisement that young people use condoms when engaging in sexual activity: “And the truth is that Colin Powell had an opportunity here to reaffirm this president’s commitment to abstinence as the best choice for our young people, and he chose not to do that in the first instance, but — and so I think it’s very sad. The other part is that, frankly, condoms are a very, very poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases…” In the same interview, Pence claimed condoms have “zero preventative value” and are “too modern of an answer.”

In 2003, responding to the HIV and AIDS crisis in sub-saharan Africa, Pence argued for the Bush administration to prioritize abstinence-only education over condom distribution because it would protect  the rights of faith-based organizations. Pence followed this up with a call to “send them values that work” as justification for prioritizing abstinence-only education.

As governor of Indiana, Pence’s cuts to public health funding helped fuel the worst outbreak of HIV and AIDS in the state’s history. The outbreak in Scott County was enabled by the closure of a local Planned Parenthood clinic, which was the county’s only HIV testing center. As the outbreak of HIV and AIDS spiraled out of control, Pence was “reluctant” to lift a ban on needle exchanges that could mitigate the spread of the virus. After an intervention staged by officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Pence continued dragging his feet on full implementation for needle exchanges, waiting for a year to sign off on funding, leading to an outbreak in Scott County that included 190 victims of HIV and AIDS.

This video is the latest installment of “The Real Mike Pence,” a comprehensive campaign — including a scathing report and microsite — exposing the vice president’s career of attacks on LGBTQ people and shining a spotlight on the inordinate influence he and his inner circle wield in the administration. It has never been more important for a nation to know — really know — its vice president.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-releases-new-video-highlighting-mike-pences-dangerous-record-on-HIV?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed