GOP Platform Will Describe Marriage as ‘Union of One Man and One Woman’ 

The Republican Party’s official platform this year will describe marriage as a “union between one man and one woman.”

Reuters reporter Ginger Gibson broke the news on Twitter.

Full RNC platform committee just approved an amendment describing the “union of one man and one woman.” #RNCinCLE #RNC2016

— Ginger Gibson (@GingerGibson) July 11, 2016

Despite this being an anti-LGBT stance that ignores the fact that gay marriage is now legal everywhere in the U.S., it actually represents a ratcheting down of the party’s anti-LGBT rhetoric. As previously reported, this year’s platform will not call for an amendment to the U.S. constitution effectively banning same-sex marriage as it has in years past.

It seems that the debate among the platform committee on Monday has focused more on the party’s advocacy for teaching the Bible in public schools. However, it ultimately seems to have concluded that, yes, the Bible should be an essential part of public school education in this country.

Teaching the Bible in public schools remains in Republican platform. #RNC2016

— Ginger Gibson (@GingerGibson) July 11, 2016

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Religious People Might Think Online Sexual Habits are Harmful, But They’re Also the Worst Offenders

In a fascinating new study published in June, researchers from two universities in Canada wanted to understand how Americans felt about recent scientific findings which revealed that a higher percentage of people in “more religious” states consumed more internet porn than those who lived in less religious states.

The study, brilliantly titled “Surfing for Sexual Sin: Relations Between Religiousness and Viewing Sexual Content Online” concluded that participants who self-identified as “more religious” see internet porn as “bad and harmful” and are “less willing to accept research highlighting that ‘surfing for sin’ may be particularly prevalent in religious communities,” even if they are adult entertainment consumers, themselves.

Psychology professors Cara C. MacInnis from the University of Calgary, and Gordon Hodson from Brock University set out to examine the “relationship between religiousness and viewing sexual content online among adult web users.”

In the first part of the study, they asked 208 Americans how religious they are and surveyed their reactions to the following statement: “A recent study demonstrated that searching for sexual content online (using Google) is more prevalent in more religious U.S. states than in less religious U.S. states.”

The findings showed that the self-described “more religious” participants were less willing to accept the findings as true, “consistent with tendencies to reject research findings contrary to personal opinions.”

If “more religious” Americans didn’t seem to agree that “higher religiosity is associated with increased searching for sexual content online,” researchers wondered, what factors did participants think influenced “online sexual content viewing, if not religion?”

In the second part of the study, researchers surveyed 252 Americans, again asking them to rate how religious they considered themselves to be.

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On Eve of Orlando Anniversary, RNC Considers Adding Anti-LGBTQ Provisions to Party Platform

Today, HRC called for the Republican Party to reject a slew of anti-LGBTQ provisions after media reports that its policy subcommittee proposed adding to the GOP platform a provision supporting anti-transgender discrimination, a provision calling for a Constitutional amendment undermining marriage equality, and a provision supporting the discredited practice of “conversion therapy.” The proposals to undermine marriage equality and attack transgender people align with anti-LGBTQ stances taken by the party’s presumptive nominee Donald Trump. HRC urged the RNC and Trump campaign to strike the anti-LGBTQ provisions advanced today, and for all sponsors and convention affiliates to make clear their opposition to the proposals.

“The Republican Party’s message is clear: Their proposed platform says LGBTQ people are second class citizens, and that we are not equal or worthy of basic fairness or dignity,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC’s Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs. “This is a shameful and repugnant message for the Republican Party to send, particularly as the nation prepares to mark the one month anniversary of the tragedy in Orlando. These are not values that the majority of fair-minded voters —  of either party — share, and the RNC should immediately reject ignorant and hateful provisions targeting LGBTQ people. We hope convention sponsors and elected officials affiliated with this event will strongly encourage the RNC to strike the anti-LGBTQ provisions that were advanced today.”

The committee’s efforts to insert language into the GOP platform specifically targeting transgender people echoes the malicious intent of North Carolina’s HB2 law — which was rammed through by the state legislature and Governor Pat McCrory in under 12 hours earlier this spring, specifically to undermine the rights of LGBTQ people across the state. The vile measure has remained on the books despite overwhelming opposition from more than 200 business leaders, civil rights advocates, and even national Republican leaders. Donald Trump, however, is among those supporting Governor McCrory and his shameful HB2 law; last week, he confirmed in his strongest terms yet his support for HB2.

Winterhof continued, “It’s clear who is leading the party now.  Donald Trump gave a full-throated endorsement to North Carolina’s HB2, and now the RNC is following in his shameful, hate-mongering footsteps.”

Trump remains dangerously out of step with the majority of fair-minded Americans who believe that LGBT people should be treated equally under the law. Trump has not only promised to use the Supreme Court to roll back nationwide marriage equality, but he’s supported a bill that would lead to more Kim Davis-style discrimination, and said that he would allow states like North Carolina to violate federal civil rights laws.

Tomorrow, on the one-month anniversary of the Orlando tragedy, House Republicans have called a hearing on the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) — a bill backed by Donald Trump that would enable Kim Davis-style discrimination in all 50 states. Donald Trump previously said, “If Congress considers the First Amendment Defense Act a priority, then I will do all I can to make sure it comes to my desk for signatures and enactment.”

www.hrc.org/blog/on-eve-of-orlando-anniversary-rnc-considers-adding-anti-lgbtq-provisions-to?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Actress Aubrey Plaza: “I Fall in Love with Girls and Guys”

Actress Aubrey Plaza opened up about her sexual orientation last week, telling The Advocate, “I fall in love with girls and guys.”

“I know I have an androgynous thing going on, and there’s something masculine about my energy,” she said. “Girls are into me — that’s no secret. Hey, I’m into them too. I fall in love with girls and guys. I can’t help it.”

Plaza, who is best known for her role in the television show Parks and Recreation, also spoke about her own personal experience with other openly gay and lesbian members of her family.

“My family’s always been very open. I have a gay aunt and a gay uncle, and I grew up thinking that everyone had a gay aunt or uncle. My younger sister is a lesbian,” she added.

Coming out – whether it is as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or allied – matters. When people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. Beyond that, our stories can be powerful to each other.

Whether it’s for the first time ever or the first time today, the experience of coming out and living openly covers the full spectrum of human emotion — from fear to euphoria. Coming out — whether it is as LGBTQ or allied — is a deeply personal journey for each individual. Learn more at HRC’s Coming Out Center.

www.hrc.org/blog/actress-aubrey-plaza-i-fall-in-love-with-girls-and-guys?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

HRC Joins Advocates Launching TV Ad About Anti-Transgender Discrimination; Ad to Air During RNC

Today, HRC Foundation joined several LGBTQ organizations in launching a national TV ad depicting anti-transgender discrimination. The ad will premiere nationally on TV next Thursday, July 21, during the Republican National Convention on Fox News Channel.

The ad features a transgender woman from North Carolina, where the discriminatory HB2 was passed earlier this year. HB2 bans transgender people from accessing restrooms consistent with their gender identity, making them even more susceptible to harassment and violence.

“Creating this visibility on a national scale is crucial in our effort to bring equality, fairness and dignity to transgender people in every state,” said Jay Brown, HRC’s Director of Communications. “Anti-transgender extremists continue to use scare tactics and spread lies, and we have to fight them by putting a spotlight on how these laws hurt transgender people who just wish to live and work without fear of discrimination or violence. No matter what your political views are, we know that just meeting a transgender person or hearing their experience alters perceptions and builds understanding.”

The ad, which will be seen online across the country, will also air nationwide on MSNBC during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia one week later.

Freedom for All Americans Education Fund, the Movement Advancement Project, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Equality Ohio Education Fund made the ad with additional support from the Equality Federation Institute, the HRC Foundation, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

On Friday, 68 major companies joined HRC’s amicus brief in support of the U.S. Department of Justice’s effort to block some of the most egregious and discriminatory components of HB2. The corporations argue in the brief that HB2 is an affront to their non-discrimination policies, undermines their ability to do business within and outside of North Carolina, and stigmatizes and does immeasurable and irreparable harm to transgender people — including their own employees, employees’ families, and customers. Estimates show that HB2 has already cost North Carolina more than 1,700 jobs, and more than a half a billion dollars in lost and at-risk economic activity.

Earlier this year, HRC reported that more than one-third of Americans now say they personally know or work with someone who is transgender. While this historic level of visibility is accompanied by increasing acceptance of transgender people, there is still more work to do.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-joins-advocates-launching-tv-ad-about-anti-transgender-discrimination-a?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Protestors Stage 49 Hour Sit-In Outside Marco Rubio’s Orlando Office, Demand Gun Control – PHOTOS, VIDEOS

Protesters are currently staging a 49-hour sit-in outside Senator Marco Rubio’s office in Orlando, Florida, one hour for each of the victims of the Orlando massacre.

The shooting at gay nightclub Pulse took place one month ago Tuesday and was the deadliest in American history.

The assembled protesters are demanding that Rubio back gun control legislation, a national LGBT non-discrimination law and immigration reform. Activists are using the hashtag #SitInForThe49 to draw attention to their cause.

Via press release:

Sen. Rubio claims he is “deeply impacted” by last month’s Pulse Nightclub Shooting, yet he continues to terrorize Orlando’s LGBTQ+ communities of color by adhering to a platform of so-called “conservative values” which discriminates, dehumanizes, and denies access to the American dream.

Opportunist political leaders have offered meaningless platitudes and political pandering in response to unspeakable violence. At best, politicians propose “No Fly No Buy” legislation that employs racial profiling and fails to address the most urgent needs of marginalized communities. We demand a comprehensive platform to address gun safety, equality, and community violence:

• Gun Safety: Gun manufacturers and the gun lobby generate profits from tragedies. Lawmakers must reject financial contributions from the NRA, implement universal background checks to close jarring loopholes, enact legislation making it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon or large capacity ammunition-feeding device, and allow federal research on gun violence.

• Equality: LGBTQ+ people of color are more likely to be the victims of hate crimes than any other minority group. The Pulse Nightclub massacre impacted those who suffer from discrimination, poverty wages, and an unjust immigration system. We demand not only an end to hateful rhetoric and policies that perpetuate racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, and xenophobia; but the passage of a fully-inclusive national LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination law and comprehensive immigration reform.

• Community Violence: It is time to end the senseless and systematic murder of unarmed black and brown people at the hands of law enforcement. Lawmakers must end police brutality, develop a transparent database of law enforcement activity, repeal mandatory-minimums for nonviolent drug offenses, and institute after-school programs, living-wage jobs, and accessible higher education to cultivate brighter futures in our communities.

The Orlando Sentinel reports: 

“This is just a group of concerned citizens in Orlando who came together to say that a month has gone by now, and we’ve seen nothing but more violence and discrimination,” said Ida Eskamani, a spokeswoman for the gay and transgender civil rights group Equality Florida. […]

The group presented staff of the Republican senator and former presidential candidate with a list of demands, including that lawmakers reject financial contributions from the National Rifle Association; implement universal background checks; enact legislation making it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon or large capacity ammunition-feeding device; and allow federal research on gun violence.

Senator Rubio brushed off the protests in a statement, as Florida Politics notes:

A Rubio spokesperson in Washington issued a statement that read:

“Senator Rubio respects the views of others on these difficult issues, and he welcomes the continued input he is receiving from people across the political spectrum. Senator Rubio and our office continue working around the clock on federal casework to assist victims’ families, survivors and their families, and we stand ready to continue assisting, including lending staff to the victim assistance center as we did for the last few weeks. Over the past month, Senator Rubio has supported common sense compromises to make it easier to track individuals who have been on the terror watch list and later try to buy firearms, all while improving due process protections for law abiding Americans.”

Protesters sang “Somos Orlando” (We Are Orlando) outside Rubio’s office and also created a memorial for those who lost their lives on June 12.

#SitInForThe49 sings ” #SomosOrlando, esta noche tenemos que ganar” near @marcorubio office @OrlandoWeekly pic.twitter.com/8W7wztr5rZ

— Monivette Cordeiro (@monivettec) July 11, 2016

#SitInForThe49 protesters create memorial for #pulse victims w/ red roses inside @marcorubio #orlando office pic.twitter.com/enFrbvG3AG

— Monivette Cordeiro (@monivettec) July 11, 2016

Watch more video and see pics from the protest taking place right now, below.

Around 75 ppl from @OrgNow and other groups holding #SitInForThe49 in @marcorubio Orlando office @OrlandoWeekly pic.twitter.com/PdCGJrQjQY

— Monivette Cordeiro (@monivettec) July 11, 2016

#SitInForThe49 @marcorubio time to end your legacy of violence. pic.twitter.com/U3rnytqv0E

— Ida V. Eskamani (@ida_v_e) July 11, 2016

LIVE on #Periscope: #sitinfothe49 t.co/UpCmvsVwos

— Mitch Emerson (@MitchEmerson) July 11, 2016

[Top photo via twitter]

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