{"id":52578,"date":"2017-04-27T12:10:57","date_gmt":"2017-04-27T16:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/am_equality-tipsheet-april-27-2017\/"},"modified":"2017-04-27T12:10:57","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T16:10:57","slug":"am_equality-tipsheet-april-27-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/am_equality-tipsheet-april-27-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"#AM_Equality Tipsheet: April 27, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: April 27, 2017<\/b>
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CONGRESS TO REINTRODUCE EQUALITY ACT ON TUESDAY: <\/strong>Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) plan to reintroduce the Equality Act on Tuesday morning, The Washington Blade<\/em> reports. The Equality Act provides basic protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, access to public spaces, housing, education, jury service, credit and federal funding. \u201cLGBTQ people face unfair and unjust discrimination just because of who they are, with few explicit legal protections in place,\u201d said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. \u201cAs lawmakers in states around the country target LGBTQ people for discrimination, it is even more critical that Congress pass a clear federal law to ensure LGBTQ people are fully protected by our nation\u2019s civil rights laws.\u201d More from The Washington Blade<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

23 NATIONS SIGN STATEMENT CALLING ON RUSSIA TO INVESTIGATE HORRORS IN CHECHNYA: <\/strong>Twenty-three nations, including the United States, signed a statement<\/a> calling on Russian authorities to investigate recent reports by a Russian newspaper<\/a> and LGBTQ advocates<\/a> in the country that Chechen police have been detaining, torturing and killing gay<\/a> men<\/a>. The signing nations are: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay. HRC President Chad Griffin<\/strong><\/a> (@ChadHGriffin<\/a>) sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex \u00a0Tillerson, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and members of the White House National Security Council encouraging them, \u201cto make clear to your Russian counterparts that such lawless detentions, arrests, torture and murders are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.\u201d HRC is working closely with the Russian LGBT Network<\/a>, which asserts that as many as 20 men may have been killed<\/a> in the attacks in the Russian republic. Read the statement here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

THANKFUL THURSDAY: <\/strong>Paris Police Officer Xavier Jugel\u00e9, 37, was killed last week by a gunman who opened fire on police officers on the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es. This week, his husband, Etienne Cardiles, delivered a powerful, poetic eulogy, describing Xavier\u2019s love of music and film, his efforts to perfect his English and his \u201clife of joy and laughter, in which love and tolerance were your uncontested masters.\u201d He closed his remarks saying, \u201cYou lived like a star, you leave like a star.\u201d Watch on Channel 4 News<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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To live<\/a> “a life full of joy & laughter,” devoid of hate… how we all wish to be remembered. Thank you Xavier Jugel\u00e9 for your service. t.co\/hDXBx83k0j<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) April 26, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ALL EYES ON TENNESSEE AS LEGISLATORS CONSIDER BILL TO ERASE LGBTQ PEOPLE FROM THE LAW: <\/strong>Seventeen anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced this session, and the Tennessee legislature will hold hearings on two this week that attempt to undermine the impact of the Supreme Court\u2019s marriage equality ruling. \u00a0The measures would require<\/a> that courts and federal agencies apply a plain meaning interpretation of gendered statutory language, including those involving the rights of husbands and wives. This would exclude many same-sex<\/a> spouses from protection, because courts could not interpret \u201chusband\u201d or \u201cwife\u201d to mean \u201cspouse\u201d under the law. More on these discriminatory efforts at HRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ANTI-LGBTQ ADOPTION BILL HEADS TO ALABAMA GOVERNOR\u2019S DESK: <\/strong>\u00a0A bill that would enshrine discrimination into Alabama law by allowing some state-licensed adoption and agencies to reject qualified prospective LGBTQ adoptive parents based on the agency\u2019s religious beliefs is headed to the desk of Governor Kay Ivey. HRC is calling on the governor to veto this discriminatory measure. More from ThinkProgress<\/em><\/a> and Romper<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Live in #Alabama<\/a>? We need your help TODAY! Call @GovernorKayIvey<\/a> today and tell her NOT to sign anti-#LGBTQ<\/a> #HB24<\/a> \u2192 866-532-1193 pic.twitter.com\/veJyvpvLsj<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) April 26, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

HEY – IT\u2019S #NOMOORE TIME AGAIN: <\/strong>Disgraced former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is running for the U.S. Senate, after resigning from the state\u2019s Supreme Court. In September, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore from the bench for the remainder of his term, due to his unethical and extralegal actions surrounding marriage equality. Eva Kendrick, state director of HRC Alabama<\/strong>, told the Associated Press<\/em> that Moore is seeking “to capitalize on the name recognition he gained for harming LGBTQ people in our state.” Said Kendrick<\/strong>: “Roy Moore was removed \u2014 twice \u2014 from the Alabama Supreme Court for unethical behavior; rarely does an elected official become more ethical when they are elevated to a higher office.\u201d HRC Alabama initiated the #NoMoore campaign<\/a> to remove Moore from the bench for his blatant legal and ethical failings. #NoMoore from AL.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

TRANS CANDIDATES FOR MPLS CITY COUNCIL SEEK PARTY ENDORSEMENTS: <\/strong>Phillipe Cunningham and Andrea Jenkins are vying for a Minneapolis City Council, and are seeking endorsements from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Cunningham, a trans<\/a> man<\/a>, was in a neck-in-neck battle with the incumbent of Ward 4 before the local Democratic convention adjourned without an official endorsement. Jenkins, a trans<\/a> woman<\/a>, will seek the endorsement for Ward 8 on April 29. More from The Minneapolis Post<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

HRC EXPANDS TEXAS FIELD ORGANIZING TEAM: <\/strong>HRC Texas is bringing on two new organizers to fight back against anti-LGBTQ legislation, expanding the state team to five. HRC is monitoring a slew of anti-LGBTQ legistation in Texas, including HB 3859, a bill that would allow sweeping discrimination by foster care and adoption agencies against potential parents based on the agencies\u2019 religious beliefs, and HB 2899, an anti-transgender bill that would remove protections ensuring that transgender people can access restroom facilities consistent with their gender identity. More from HRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n