#AM_Equality Tipsheet: January 16, 2019
NEW YORK MAKES HISTORY! LEGISLATURE PASSES GENDER EXPRESSION NON-DISCRIM ACT & BAN ON CONVERSION THERAPY: “Today’s historic action in New York is the result of years of hard work and it is a vivid illustration of the importance of electing pro-equality lawmakers,” said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin). “Due to the efforts of countless advocates and leaders, transgender New Yorkers will now be explicitly protected from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and LGBTQ youth will be protected from the dangerous, debunked practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ This is a monumental day for fairness and equality across the Empire State.” More from HRC, The Daily Beast and The Hill.
Today, the New York Legislature passed:
✅ #GENDA, which solidifies existing law by explicitly adding gender identity & expression to NY Human Rights Law.
✅ Legislation protecting LGBTQ youth from the debunked practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” t.co/eEgmCZ88M2 pic.twitter.com/Pnh6tv8Fzp
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) January 15, 2019
BREAKING — HHS CONSIDERING “LICENSE TO DISCRIMINATE”: The Department of Health and Human Services is considering granting a “license to discriminate” to child welfare agencies that receive federal funding, at the behest of officials in South Carolina and Texas. This comes in the wake of the passage of state laws that have passed in those states granting a broad “license to discriminate” as well as in Kansas, Oklahoma and other states. Several members of Congress have written a letter to HHS Sec. Azar opposing this, saying “There is simply no reason to deny otherwise qualified prospective parents the opportunity to care for children because they are Humanist, Jewish, Mormon, Catholic, or LGBTQ.” More from Bloomberg.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING WEDNESDAY — GEORGE M. JOHNSON ON THE EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE AGAINST TRANSGENDER WOMEN: Last week, Dana Martin became the first known transgender victim of deadly violence in 2019. Last year, advocates tracked the deaths of at least 26 transgender people, the majority of whom were Black women.
My first video for @theGrio discussing the first transgender murder of 2019. pic.twitter.com/LLRbRk6YY5
— George M Johnson (@IamGMJohnson) January 15, 2019
KAREN PENCE TO TEACH AT SCHOOL THAT BANS LGBTQ STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES: HuffPost’s Rebecca Klein (@rklein90) reports that Mike Pence’s spouse will begin teaching at a Virginia school that forbids the hiring of LGBTQ staff and faculty and threatens to refuse admission to or expel LGBTQ kids — sending a dangerous message to young people. “Why not teach at a school that welcomes everyone, instead of choosing one that won’t serve LGBTQ kids, kids of LGBTQ parents?” said HRC’s JoDee Winterhof. “The Pences never seem to miss an opportunity to show their public service only extends to some.” More from HuffPost.
HATE GROUP ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM IS REPRESENTING ANCHORAGE SHELTER THAT TURNED AWAY TRANS WOMAN IN NEED: The city prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. “The right to believe is fundamental, but the right to discriminate — particularly with taxpayer dollars — is not,” said HRC Associate Legal Director Robin Maril. More from HuffPost.
- And why is the anti-LGBTQ Alliance Defending Freedom listed as a charity in the state employees’ Colorado Combined Campaign? More from Colorado Times Recorder.
KANSAS GOVERNOR LAURA KELLY SIGNS EO PROTECTING LGBTQ STATE EMPLOYEES:
As my first official act as Governor, I am reinstating protections to state employees who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. EO 2019-02 restores rights that were taken away in recent years.
Discrimination of any kind has no place in Kansas. It will not be tolerated. pic.twitter.com/MAi7mFzuYN
— @GovLauraKelly (@GovLauraKelly) January 15, 2019
TEXAS LEGISLATURE FORMS FIRST-EVER LGBT CAUCUS: More from Dallas Morning News.
Meet the Texas legislature’s first #LGBTQ caucus. #txlege t.co/ydBq7yawSn
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) January 14, 2019
GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS
DONALD TRUMP ON BRAZIL’S ANTI-LGBTQ SELF-DESCRIBED “HOMOPHOBE” — “HE’S THE DONALD TRUMP OF BRAZIL”: Trump also called President Jair Bolsonaro “a great new leader.” Among Bolsonaro’s first acts as president was to remove LGBTQ issues from those considered by the human rights ministry. More from Newsweek.
BAVARIAN STATE PARLIAMENT MEMBER COMES OUT AS TRANSGENDER: MP Tessa Ganserer is the first openly trans person to sit on a regional or national Parliament in Germany. More from Pink News.
¡SE HIZO JUSTICIA! — LA CORTE SUPREMA COLOMBIANA FALLA A FAVOR DE UN JOVEN TRANSGÉNERO Y AUTORIZA MODIFICACIÓN DE SUS DOCUMENTOS: Más de CENTRO Tampa.
JUSTICE — COLOMBIA’S SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF TRANS MAN UPDATING HIS LEGAL RECORDS: More from CENTRO Tampa.
READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
The New York Times interviews Yannick Nézet-Séguin (@nezetseguin), the Metropolitan Opera’s first openly gay music director; The New York Times writes that the Paris Opera Ballet disinvited dancer Sergei Polunin because of his recent anti-LGBTQ social media posts; Advocate reports that LGBTQ publication Into is closing its doors
.@HRC thanks the staff at @Into for their incredible coverage of #LGBTQ issues. We will miss their fierce commitment to telling our community’s stories. t.co/SOZD2Ab0Za
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) January 16, 2019
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