University of Iowa Christian Group Can Discriminate Against Gay Student Says Federal Judge
A federal judge ruled that the University of Iowa cannot take away a Christian student group’s registered status after it prohibited a gay student from a leadership role according to The Hill.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie M. Rose granted a permanent injunction forcing the university to recognize Business Leaders in Christ as a registered student organization.
“Particularly when free speech is involved, the uneven application of any policy risks the most exacting standard of judicial scrutiny, which the defendants have failed to withstand,” NBC News said.
The university claimed that the group violated its human rights policy by blocking a gay student from holding a leadership position.
In her ruling, Rose said the university “didn’t enforce its policy equally by allowing other groups to limit membership based on protected characteristics, including race, gender and religion.”
Business Leaders in Christ member Jake Estell said the group is happy with the outcome he told NBC.
“This victory reinforces the commonsense idea that universities can’t target religious groups for being religious,” he said.
The University of Iowa said that officials are reviewing the ruling and will follow the court order in a statement.
“The university has maintained the registered status of all religious and faith-based groups allowing them full access to all benefits, funding, facilities, and resources that are offered to all other student organizations on campus,” the university said in a previous statement. “The University of Iowa does not tolerate discrimination of any kind in accordance with federal and state law.”
“Leaders of the (BLC) student group must sign a ‘statement of faith’ that says that sexual relationships should only be between a married husband and wife, according to court documents,” added the university.
The panel, which took place on the Wednesday before the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, included Linda Perry (the first ever woman nominated for a Grammy in the Producer of the Year Non-Classical category), singer VINCINT (FOX’s The Four), producer/songwriter/performer Asiahn, breakout vocalist Shea Diamond, country music CMT breakthrough Brandon Stansell (Hometown), 16-year-old DJ Nhandi Craig (aka DJ Young 1), and ally Dan Reynolds (lead singer of Imagine Dragons and the founder of LOVELOUD).
The discussion was moderated by Recording Academy Editor In Chief of Digital Content & Strategy Justin Dwayne Joseph and Out magazine’s Entertainment and Culture Editor Tre’vell Anderson.
Linda Perry kicked things off by discussing what it was like living authentically out of the closet in the ’80s and ’90s and her answers had the whole audience laughing. “I’ve always been gay,” she explained. “It’s just who I was. I never ever let it be a problem. There are people like me who have never allowed people to look at me differently. I walked right through those barriers. … when someone pushes you, they’re testing you. Just don’t let people push. You have to stay strong.”
When asked about what it means to be an ally, Dan Reynolds spoke about how fully he understands how privileged his life has been and how he feels obligated to make the world a better place for others. “We need allies,” he explained. “Check your reservations at the door. Be educated, but do not be indifferent.”
DJ Nhandi, at only 16, brought a level of maturity to the conversation that blew everyone away, speaking about how even though many people in her generation see gender differently, she still sometimes experiences discrimination in school. “I have a lot of family members who are part of the LGBTQ community,” she said. “It was the norm to be accepted. It was the norm to be different.”
And Shea Diamond spoke about the importance of inclusivity within the community and her experiences as a transgender Black woman in the music industry. As for the future, Diamond says it’s in the hands of Nhandi’s generation. “Nothing can ever get done focusing on older generations,” she said. “I try to focus my energies on the new minds. The youth spread (the message) faster than anyone else.”
VINCINT and Asiahn both spoke about how although they were each respectively pigeonholed at points in their careers, they chose to define themselves rather than allow the industry to define them.
The audience consisted of high school music students from the LA Unified School District, along with Academy members and other invited guests, all of whom were greeted by a DJ set from Nhandi as they arrived.
Everyone in the crowd, talent and students alike, had a blast exploring the Grammy Museum’s new exhibit honoring 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year, Dolly Parton, while laughing and taking photos on the red carpet.
BELIEVE IN THE SINNER The new Presbyterian moderator backs the church’s gay marriage opposition. But, he added the Church “abhors” homophobia and is “open and welcome to anyone”.
TRUMP’S HIV PLAN NPR says halting the U.S. HIV epidemic by 2030 is difficult but doable. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says Trump’s initiative would aim to reduce new infections by 75 percent in the next five years and 90 percent in the next 10 years. That would avert more than 250,000 HIV infections by 2030. “Several HIV/AIDS advocates say that the goal is achievable, but only if the administration reverses course in several major areas of health care policy, including efforts to weaken the Affordable Care Act, cut funding for Planned Parenthood and limit LGBTQ and immigrant rights. The initiative’s fate will depend on Congress, which will decide whether to fund the new proposal and, if so, by how much.”
A KNIT KID A Wisconsin boy is hooked on crocheting and giving back. “After a very hard, busy, chaotic day in this busy world with school, it’s just nice to know that I can come home and crochet in my little corner of the house while sitting by the one I love most: my mom,” 11 year-old Jonah Larson tells NPR. Jonah regularly donates some of his goods and money to the Ethiopian orphanage from which he was adopted as an infant.
WHO WAS THE GREATEST PERSON OF THE 20TH CENTURY? The BBC says that person was openly gay mathematician Alan Turing. Attituderemarked: “Alan Turing has been named ‘The Greatest Person of the 20th Century’ during BBC Two’s Icons series. The scientist and World War Two codebreaker won the public vote after being other finalists including Nelson Mandela, Ernest Shackleton, David Bowie, Dr Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali and Pablo Picasso. During the final episode of the BBC Two series, Chris Packham delivered a speech about Turing’s tragic life and his legacy.
Packham says: “All he got for all of his toil and all of our trouble was a poisoned apple. A genius, a saviour, but he was also autistic and gay, so we betrayed him and drove him to suicide.
WALLS DESTROY Imminent border wall construction will destroy the most diverse butterfly center in U.S.
EcoWatch says: Construction equipment has arrived to build a border wall through the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, a protected habitat for more than 200 species of wild butterflies and other unique wildlife. A planned 5.5 mile section of concrete and steel border wall that is already funded will cut off 70 percent of the 100-acre property. The barrier will be built on top of a levee of the Rio Grande that runs through the sanctuary.
SELF CARE Single gayguys talk about self love. “If you don’t take care of yourself first, then you’re never gonna be able to give 100 percent to somebody else.”
YOU BETTER ASK SOMEBODY This Black queer legal pioneer helped launch Ruth Bader Ginsburg onto the Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has emerged as just about everyone’s favorite badass on the Supreme Court. But the notorious RBG stands on the shoulders of civil rights and gender equality champion Pauli Murray.
LGBTQ Nation says: “One of Ginsburg’s key legal accomplishments, was the 1971 case Reed vs. Reed. The Supreme Court accepted Ginsburg’s argument in the case that the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th amendment protected against discrimination based on sex. But the groundwork for Ginsburg’s argument came from Murray. Murray, a Howard University-trained lawyer, started arguing in the 1960s that the equal protection clause should apply to cases of sex discrimination just as it did to cases of racial discrimination. Murray’s “reasoning from race” used racial analogies to underscore women’s subordinate status, and may even have been a forerunner of today’s language of intersections between categories like race and gender.”
I got to see these guys for lunch yesterday – it was so much fun to catch up and hear how their beautiful families are doing! And yes, @joshsaviano, I totally agree – *you guys* are like family… I mean, we DID grow up together, after all. #memories#TheWonderYearspic.twitter.com/X1xVjVSs6T
LITTLE WOMEN REBOOT The perennial classic novel Little Women gets a slightly queer revisit in out YA writer Rex Ogle’s Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women out now!
TRANSGENDER REVEAL! This supermom praised her transgender son’s coming out with “It’s a boy” photo shoot. Kentucky mom Heather Green was so extra for her son’s 20th birthday photos this year. Your son only comes out as transgender once, after all.
Green’s photo shoot – which was themed as a baby gender reveal with blue balloons, glitter, “It’s a boy” messaging and a faux pregnant tummy to show she was gaining another son – is the ultimate show of support reported USA Today via Facebook.
SPOILER ALERT Marvel Studios has released the synopsis to Avengers: End Game.
“After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store,” the synopsis reads.
The movie opens in theaters on April 26.
NOT SO VOGUE The cover of the new issue of Vogue featuring Justin Bieber and new wife Hailey Baldwin is getting shade from other mags saying it looks more like a tabloid.
The newlyweds say married life is tough. “The thing is, marriage is very hard,” said Baldwin, 22. “That is the sentence you should lead with. It’s really effing hard.”
They’re now settling into a home Bieber purchased outside of Toronto. They bicker over decorating decisions and are in therapy to improve their communications skills. “Fighting is good,” added Bieber, 24. “Doesn’t the Bible talk about righteous anger? We don’t want to lose each other. We don’t want to say the wrong thing, and so we’ve been struggling with not expressing our emotions, which has been driving me absolutely crazy because I just need to express myself, and it’s been really difficult to get her to say what she feels.”
BIKING COAST TO COAST Will soon be a reality. “The Great American Rail-Trail has the potential to not just be a destination, but also a journey, and a journey through the heart of America,” said Brandi Horton, vice president of communications for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1986, the group’s mission is to work with trail-building groups and government agencies to convert former rail lines into a nationwide network of trails. When the group was formed, 250 miles of rail trails existed. Today, more than 23,000 miles of rail trails have been built” says REI.
WALLED OFF The bridge between Colombia and Venezuela has been blocked to stop humanitarian aid. “On the Venezuelan side of an unused bridge to Colombia, freight containers have been positioned across the road and security forces have been put in place behind them. That border crossing has become the focal point of the effort by Juan Guaido, the lawmaker trying to oust Maduro with the backing of the U.S. and other countries, to get aid into the country to help starving Venezuelans and further undermine Maduro’s grip on power, says Bloomberg.
JOY BEHAR’S BLACK FACE IS OK?Is it? Page Six says, “Behar showed her colleagues and the studio audience a photograph of herself with curly hair when she was 29. Co-host Raven-Symoné asks, “Joy, are you black?”
“Joy … are you my auntie, Joy?” Raven-Symoné quipped.
“I was so cute,” Behar responded.
Behar, now 76, explained that the picture was snapped at a Halloween party where she dressed up as a “beautiful African woman” and stressed that the hair was actually haira.“Did you have tanning lotion on, Joy?” Raven-Symoné asked. Behar answered that she wore makeup “that was a little bit darker than my skin.” Oy.
Joy Behar admitted during a taping of The View in 2016 to dressing as a “beautiful African women” at a Halloween party when she was 29 which involved makeup “that was a little bit darker than my skin”
Male model alleges gay affair with NFL star P.J. Hall and says he has receipts to prove it
An amateur male model by the name of Malik Joseph claims he engaged in a romantic relationship with P.J. Hall of the Oakland Raiders.
HRC CALLS ON SENATE TO REJECT TRUMP’S ATTORNEY GENERAL NOM WILLIAM BARR & SLATE OF OTHER ANTI-LGBTQ NOMS: “[Barr’s] record makes clear that he will perpetuate the discriminatory agenda of Jeff Sessions and double down on the Trump-Pence administration’s harmful attacks on LGBTQ equality,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “[T]he Trump-Pence administration is continuing their efforts to stack the courts across the country with nominees who would not defend and uphold civil rights laws for all Americans — including LGBTQ people. The Senate must reject these anti-LGBTQ nonimees.” More from HRC.
HRC also called on the Senate to reject the nominations of Brian Buescher to the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska; Matthew Kacsmaryk to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas; Eric E. Murphy to the U.S Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; Chad Readler to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; Allison Jones Rushing to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; and Wendy Vitter to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
HRC FOUNDATION TO HONOR ACTRESS JOSIE TOTAH AT TIME TO THRIVE CONFERENCE: Totah will receive an Upstander Award at the organization’s sixth annual Time to THRIVE Conference on February 15-17 in Anaheim, California. “By living her truth as a transwoman, Josie is setting an inspiring example for trans and gender-expansive young people everywhere that they can live and thrive as their true selves,” said Vincent Pompei, Director of HRC’s Youth Well-Being Project and Time to THRIVE conference. “We are so proud to call this amazing young actor part of our HRC family.” The band OneUp will perform on the opening night of the conference. More from HRC.
MORNING MUST READ — HOW HBCUs ARE A KEY TO ACHIEVING AN HIV-FREE GENERATION: On National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Leslie Hall (@MrLeslieHall) HRC Foundation Director of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, touts the efforts of HBCUs including Morehouse College, Spelman College and Jackson State University, writing, “[W]hile President Trump announced a commitment to stopping the spread of HIV, unfortunately, this administration continues to undermine the very tools we need to reach that noble goal… In the face of this intersection of injustices, HBCUs are uniquely positioned to address the current health crisis, and we already have inspiring examples to look to.” More from Advocate.
THURSDAY THOUGHTS — RAQUEL WILLIS, “WHERE’S ALL THIS ENERGY FOR THE ATTACKS ON BLACK TRANSGENDER WOMEN?”: “When Black transwomen are brutalized, I have mostly come to expect silence from nearly every group that we’re a part of,” writes Out Executive Editor Raquel Willis. “After we are diminished and marginalized in our lives, should we then be murdered, we can expect careless investigators and police officers releasing inaccurate names and genders and an endless justification for our deaths, suggesting we were ‘tricking’ our assailants or that we made bad life choices that placed us in a precarious situation. The hierarchy of whose lives actually matter is clear.” More from Out Magazine.
Elizabeth Cole, a Navajo transwoman in Nevada, is fortunate to be alive after being subjected to anti-trans slurs and shot. Her bravery to push forward, live authentically and encourage others to do the same is remarkable. More from Las Vegas Journal-Review.
Investigation shows FBI fails to include anti-LGBTQ hate crimes in data report: A must-see report from Investigate TV on hate crimes reporting, including those targeting the LGBTQ community, reveals that multiple cases investigated by the FBI do not appear in the agency’s national database. More from KCWY.
We were all shocked by what happened to our brother Jussie Smollett and we also need to keep that same energy for the scores of Black trans sisters under attack as well. t.co/4m4NAnDQFm
California lawmakers have introduced a bill to protect intersex babies from harmful and medically-unnecessary surgeries. More from Equality California.
MARK FEB. 28 ON YOUR CALENDAR — HRC & NEA TO SPONSOR NATIONAL DAY OF READING TO SUPPORT TRANS AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE YOUTH: Thousands of parents, educators and allies will join in solidarity with transgender and gender-expansive students by hosting school and community readings of I Am Jazz, a children’s book by transgender teen trailblazer Jazz Jennings, as well as additional titles. More from HRC.
HRC HONORS BLACK LIVES MATTER AT SCHOOL WEEK: From February 4-8, educators across the country will come together to call on schools to hire more Black teachers and counselors, to teach Black history and to end “zero tolerance” discipline policies enshrining severe and punitive practices that disproportionately impact students of color. More from HRC.
NEW STUDY CONFIRMS THAT HAVING A LGBTQ STUDENT CLUB HELPS ALL STUDENTS FEEL SAFER IN SCHOOLS: More from The Star Vancouver.
GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS
THIRTEEN JAPANESE SAME-SEX COUPLES TO FILE MARRIAGE EQUALITY LAWSUIT ON VALENTINE’S DAY: More from The Mainichi.
READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
WBUR speaks to Chrysanthemum Tran and Justice Ameer, two transgender poets of color; Gay Star News reviews an upcoming show on Netflix about a gayman with cerebral palsy; PowellsBooks.Blog shares an essay from parent-advocate and HRC Foundation Board Member Jodie Patterson (@jodie_GeorgiaNY)
In life I seek fun and enjoyment, what better place to find it than on here! I do all kinds of work, from networking to programming to this. I seek to build a strong connection with people on here and really have someone who wants all I have to offer and above all can handle it 😉
Agata Wolf: I Want to Meet Many Warm and Tender Friends from All over the World
Hello guys I am a very tender girl and very affectionate, I like to be conquered with nice words, give me flowers and make me laugh a lot, when I go to bed I like to be cherished and filled with many kisses throughout my body and feel the cock and The tongue of a very hard man within my
WHO WILL REPLACE HUGH JACKMAN AS WOLVERINE? Marvel Studio’s president Kevin Feige has the answers. At long last, the X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
If you wondered where the marvelous mutants were during the attack by Thanos–they were languishing in a contract with 20th Century Fox which owned the rights for many years (all the Bryan Singer films).
There are still two films set for release under the 20th Century Fox banner, Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants, but once those are in the can, it’s off to the House of Ideas. The most significant aspect of Feige’s involvement in the transition involves finding a replacement for Wolverine. Hugh Jackman has been adamant that Logan was his final outing as the character. However, Donner didn’t rule out Jackman reprising the role at some point down the road as an older Wolverine says Comic Book Resources.
2019 IS THE CHINESE YEAR OF THE PIGPeople magazine breaks down your fate using Chinese astrology.
According to ChineseNewYear.net, those born in a Year of a Pig “have a beautiful personality and are blessed with good fortune in life.” Pigs are likely to find 2019 to be a “transitional year” that contains tricky situations that are best overcome by sticking them out.
Every year, San Francisco’s streets are made more vibrant & festive as we join our Asian American & Pacific Islander neighbors in celebrating the Lunar New Year. May the #YearOfThePig bring health, happiness & prosperity to all! pic.twitter.com/oUFZkv3hI2
HOW COOL?! Our planet’s auroras do not mirror one another, and their varying shapes result from the interplay of the sun and Earth’s magnetic fields says the Science Times. Earth’s auroras, popularly known as the Northern and Southern Lights, are indisputably beautiful. They are also, perhaps surprisingly, not mirror images. You can imagine the two like mismatched dancers: Viewed from space, the Northern Lights may contort and groove in one direction, while the Southern Lights could perform a routine that doesn’t quite sync up with its partner’s. Research published in December in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, reveals that the cause of this north-south auroral asymmetry is the angle at which the sun’s solar wind and magnetic field approaches Earth.
In the final season of Game of Thrones, everyone will be cold. That’s pretty much all you can learn from these new photos HBO has released from the show exclusively on Vulture. The show returns April 14 for its final six feature-length episodes. HBO’s kept the set tight with few rumor leaks but we do know it’ll kick off with Daenerys’s tense arrival in Winterfell, include a lot of big battle scenes, and will probably not be enough to stop people from misusing memes about the wall in politics.
Vulture adds that HBO is readying a pilot for a Westeros-set prequel with a bunch of cool British actors and Naomi Watts, so don’t worry too much about leaving this whole cold world behind.
JUST JONAS Priyanka Chopra Jonas sat down for an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night in New York City. On the show, the 36-year-old actress spoke about why she decided to add “Jonas” to her last name.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR If you still think you don’t have to worry about HIV and AIDS think again.
“Beau Lester, he was 23 years old — born on May 4, 1994 — when he passed away on February 6, 2017. He was diagnosed sometime between November and January of 2014/15. I’m not sure of the exact dates. Beau took his own life. It was only after his death that I found out that he had completely stopped all treatment because he could not handle the side effects from them. From what I understand, he’d tried several different meds and they all had same effects. I think about him weekly, something always pops up to make me think of him. Sometimes it’s just driving past the mall we went to one day on a whim. Beau drove three hours to come pick me up so we could just go hang out at the mall, that’s just how he was. He was a special young man and was loved by many and he is missed so much. I choose to believe Beau took his life to spare his family and friends of having to care for him as the illness progressed. It is the only reason I can think of that would cause him to feel as if he couldn’t go on. A few months after Beau’s death, I had a tattoo done in remembrance of him, not that I could ever forget.” Mary Gresham
AC/DC A new Netflix show explores gay and straight dating on a show called: Dating Around. Netflix says of the show, “Every episode, one single goes on five first dates filled with flirty banter, awkward exchanges and moments of true connection. Who will get a second date? Netflix’s first original dating show takes an honest and compelling look at the real world of dating.”
AWESOME LA EXHIBIT The LA Times reviews a history of L.A.’s gay bar scene told in matchbooks. “A time capsule of L.A.’s bar history is now on display at downtown’s Central Library. Todd Lerew, program manager at the Library Foundation, the private nonprofit that oversaw “21 Collections,” curated the exhibition. “It’s like an archive of safe spaces,” Lerew says of the collection. “[These were] sites of solidarity. Many of them are gone now and [the matchbooks] are the only record they ever existed.”
Above: Exhibition of gay bar matchbooks. (One Archives at the USC Libraries)
APOLOGETIC Cubs owner apologizes over racist emails. “I deeply regret and apologize for some of the exchanges I had in my emails,” Joe Ricketts said in a statement. “Sometimes I received emails that I should have condemned. Other times I’ve said things that don’t reflect my value system. I strongly believe that bigoted ideas are wrong.”
Show Your Love This Valentine’s Day With a Gift From HRC
As Valentine’s Day draws near, what’s better than gifts that give back?! HRC’s online store offers a fabulous selection for all your loved ones (or yourself!) this February.
Be sure to place your order by midnight on February 6 to take advantage of the most affordable shipping and ensure that your selections arrive on time.
Not to fear! HRC is accepting orders until February 12.
To ensure you receive your order by Valentine’s Day:
Place your order by midnight EST on February 6 and ship via USPS**;
Place your order by 3:00 p.m. EST on February 6 and ship via ground service;
Place your order by 3:00 p.m. EST on February 11 and ship via two-day service;
Place your order by 3:00 p.m. EST on February 12 and ship via one-day service.
Cozy up over a cup of hot cocoa in this adorable mug! This piece — a collaboration with Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn and West Elm — is sure to please even the pickiest Valentine!
Equality and love for all! This “Love” Rainbow Flag Hoodie features the Philadelphia Pride flag, and symbolizes HRC’s fight for intersectional LGBTQ equality.
Clear and simple, our “Love” t-shirt shows that you support LGBTQ equality and the mission and work of HRC, and you want to share that message with the world.
What better present can you give than the gift of PRIDE! This classic style ball cap looks amazing in every situation, from running errands to taking adorable photos for Instagram.
Don’t wait! Head to shop.hrc.org now to ensure you have the perfect gift for that special someone this Valentine’s Day.
**Please note: USPS shipping is not guaranteed to arrive by 2/14. Applies to in-stock items and domestic shipments only.
