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<\/p>\n#AM_Equality Tipsheet: March 2, 2017<\/b>
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BREAKING — 53 MAJOR COMPANIES JOIN HRC\u2019S AMICUS BRIEF SUPPORTING GAVIN GRIMM IN SCOTUS CASE: <\/strong>Today, HRC announced that 53 major U.S. companies have joined a \u201cfriend of the court\u201d brief supporting transgender student Gavin Grimm in G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board<\/em>. Grimm, a transgender boy<\/a>, filed suit against the school board alleging it violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 by denying him use of the boy<\/a>\u2019s restroom. The Supreme Court\u2019s decision in this case could have far-reaching consequences for transgender students across the nation. \u201cThese companies are sending a powerful message to transgender children and their families that America\u2019s leading businesses have their backs,\u201d said HRC President Chad Griffin<\/strong>. \u201cAcross the country, corporate leaders are speaking out because they know attacking transgender youth isn’t just shameful — it also puts the families of their employees and customers at risk. Transgender students like Gavin are entitled to the full protection of the law, and must be affirmed, respected and protected in the classroom and beyond.\u201d A list of the 53 companies, representing over 1.3 million employees and $613 billion in revenue, can be found on HRC\u2019s blog<\/a>. More from International Business Times<\/em><\/a> and\u00a0 The New York Times<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n 53 companies filed a brief to #StandWithGavin<\/a> who was denied use of restroom consistent with his gender identity. t.co\/3Fb2cfXdWg<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) March 2, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u25cfMeanwhile, in another failure of the Trump administration to protect transgender people,<\/strong> <\/span>the Washington Blade<\/em> reports that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has let stand a court order against the implementation of an Obamacare regulation barring discrimination against transgender people in health care. The midnight deadline to appeal the injunction passed yesterday with no action by U.S. Department of Justice. More\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n NEARLY 70 NATIONAL BUSINESSES SEND LETTER OPPOSING TEXAS ANTI-LGBTQ BILL: <\/strong>Yesterday, nearly 70 businesses made public their opposition to Texas\u2019 SB 6, an anti-transgender bill similar to North Carolina\u2019s HB2 law. The businesses, along with several Texas Chambers of Commerce, signed a letter<\/a> to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker of the House Joe Straus and other lawmakers, voicing their opposition to this discriminatory proposal. The letter was organized by the Texas Association of Business, as part of its \u201cKeep Texas Open for Business\u201d project. \u201cAs we have witnessed in North Carolina with HB2, businesses want nothing to do with states that promote anti-LGBTQ discrimination,\u201d said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs<\/strong>. \u201cIt is heartening to see businesses stand up against harmful bills like SB 6, and hopefully lawmakers in Texas are paying attention to the increasingly frequent warnings that anti-LGBTQ laws will be detrimental to Texas\u2019 future.\u201d More on the letter, including full list of signers, from HRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u25cfFierce parent-advocates of transgender children are calling out SB6, describing the ways the bill will harm their children and their families.<\/strong> One parent, Chelsea, already knows the discrimination trans<\/a> kids face in schools. She had to make the the painful decision to tell her 8-year-old transgender daughter to never use the school restroom if she sees another girl<\/a> there. More from Salon<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n THANKFUL THURSDAY — #LOVETHYNIGHBOR VIDEO SERIES HIGHLIGHTS LGBTQ MISSISSIPPIANS AND ALLIES: <\/strong>Over the next few weeks, HRC will release videos<\/a> encouraging Mississippians to #LoveYourNeighbor. The storytelling project focuses on sharing the experiences of LGBTQ people and allies in Tupelo, Miss. It is funded by a grant from Toyota, which has a manufacturing plant in Blue Springs, Miss., just outside of Tupelo. More from The Clarion-Ledger<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u25cfThe latest #LoveYourNeighbor video<\/a> features Auston,<\/strong> who wants to represent his city of Tupelo and his LGBTQ community in a positive light. More from HRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cIT MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE SCHOOL SAW ME AS A LESSER PERSON\u201d: <\/strong>Drew had a fairly easy time coming out to his family as transgender. His school, which is in a heavily Republican district of Florida, however, refuses to allow him to use the boys<\/a>\u2019 restroom. Drew and his mother fought back for his right to feel safe and protected in his school, filing a complaint with the Department of Education\u2019s Office for Civil Rights. The resolution, which has not been finalized, is now in jeopardy because of President Donald Trump\u2019s disgraceful decision to roll back of the protective guidance for transgender students. More on Drew\u2019s story and the stories of other trans<\/a> kids from Rolling Stone<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n No student should ever be afraid to go to school. They should feel safe and protected. Now more than ever we must #ProtectTransKids<\/a>. t.co\/bZ9l9vmyyU<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) March 1, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n JUST HOW MUCH DISCRIMINATION ARE YOU<\/em> OKAY WITH?: <\/strong>In a powerful editorial in\u00a0 The Charlotte Observer<\/em>, the Editorial Board reminds the North Carolina General Assembly of the real question behind using LGBTQ equality as a bargaining chip – just how much discrimination are you willing to stomach? They write, \u201cIf you can tolerate a lot, HB2 is the bill for you. If you can stomach just a medium amount, you\u2019ll probably like HB186, the leading repeal bill being discussed at the legislature this week. If you are OK with just a little discrimination, you\u2019ll probably back HB186 minus its referendum provision that lets voters decide whether to discriminate against LGBT citizens.\u201d Shortly after the piece was published, NC House Democratic Leader Darren Johnson filed a clean HB2 repeal<\/a> —\u00a0 a NO gimmicks, NO discrimination option for fair-minded North Carolinians. Read the full piece from The Charlotte Observer<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u25cfLast week, HRC joined EqualityNC for its annual <\/strong>Day of Advocacy<\/strong><\/a> at the General Assembly in Raleigh.<\/p>\n \u25cfSarah Belk Gambrell — a well-known North Carolina philanthropist whose family founded the Belk department store — will donate $1.5 million to Time Out Youth<\/strong>, a LGBTQ youth center in Charlotte. The donation, made in the name of her gay<\/a> grandson, will help fund a soon-to-be-built shelter for LGBTQ youth. More from The Charlotte Observer<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n INVEST IN AN ANTI-LGBTQ RETIRMENT FUND? BETTER TO STUFF YOUR CASH\u00a0UNDER THE MATTRESS: <\/strong>An investment company has created two new exchange-traded funds that specifically exclude LGBTQ-friendly businesses\u2026which means it locks out investments in 82 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Here what HRC Foundation Workplace Equality Director Deena Fidas<\/strong> has to say about that: \u201cAnyone thinking of investing in a retirement fund that excludes these and myriad other LGBT-friendly companies is probably better served stuffing money under the mattress and hoping for the best.\u201d More from Gay Star News<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n HRC RECOMMENDS BOOKS FOR IMMIGRANT STUDENTS & THEIR FAMILIES: <\/strong>In the last few weeks, as executive orders to fund a border wall with Mexico and suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program<\/a> have been handed down, elementary school teachers are again in the position of not just explaining new rules and policies to students, but supporting those who are understandably worried for themselves and their families. For teachers wanting to address issues concerning immigration as they pertain to children, HRC has developed the following list: Books for Students: Children, Families, and Immigrants<\/a>. More from HRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n DISNEY AIRS FIRST SAME-SEX CARTOON KISS: <\/strong>The Disney show Star vs. the Forces of Evil<\/em> featured the first-ever same-sex<\/a> Disney cartoon kiss. More from Teen Vogue<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n FINALLY! WEDDING BELLS IN FINLAND: <\/strong>While the Finnish parliament passed marriage equality legislation back in 2014, it finally went into effect yesterday. More from The Huffington Post<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n READING RAINBOW<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n The New York Times<\/em><\/a> reports that French Vogue<\/em>\u2019s March cover will feature transgender model Valentina Sampaio\u2026 Author Mary Robinette Kowal<\/a> tells the story of her grandmother\u2019s acceptance of her trans<\/a> brother in 1913 on Twitter\u2026<\/p>\n Have news? Send us your news and tips at <\/em><\/strong>AMEquality@hrc.org<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. <\/em><\/strong>Click here<\/em><\/strong><\/a> to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow <\/em><\/strong>@HRC<\/em><\/strong><\/a> for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n www.hrc.org\/blog\/am-equality-tipsheet-march-2-2017?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" #AM_Equality Tipsheet: March 2, 2017 BREAKING — 53 MAJOR COMPANIES JOIN HRC\u2019S AMICUS BRIEF SUPPORTING GAVIN GRIMM IN SCOTUS CASE: Today, HRC announced that 53 major U.S. companies have joined a \u201cfriend of the court\u201d brief supporting transgender student Gavin Grimm in G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board. Grimm, a transgender boy<\/a>, filed suit against … Continue reading #AM_Equality Tipsheet: March 2, 2017<\/span> \n
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