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<\/p>\n#AM_Equality Tipsheet: January 9, 2018<\/b>
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SCOTUS TURNS AWAY CHALLENGE TO NATION\u2019S MOST ANTI-LGBTQ LAW: <\/strong>Mississippi\u2019s H.B. 1523 was signed into law in 2016, but was blocked by a federal district court shortly before its effective date<\/a>. That decision was overturned by a conservative three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to hear the case. Under this law, almost any individual or organization could justify discrimination against LGBTQ people, single mothers, unwed couples<\/a> and others. More from Reuters<\/em><\/a> and NPR<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n To be clear, challenges to MS\u2019s license-to-discriminate law will continue. The Constitution requires equal treatment under the law and that\u2019s what every single LGBTQ person deserves. t.co\/xKodH0MxvK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) January 8, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cIT\u2019S TIME\u201d — BIPARTISAN BILL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WOULD ADD GENDER IDENTITY TO NONDISCRIM PROTECTIONS: <\/strong>In a piece titled, It\u2019s Time to Prohibit Gender Identity Discrimination<\/em>, the Seacoast Online<\/em> editorial board urged lawmakers to \u201copen their hearts and minds and listen to transgender people when they talk about their lives,\u201d adding: \u201cAs the bill makes its way through the Legislature we urge a civil debate that is fact-based, compassionate and free from inflammatory stereotypes and exaggerations.\u201d The state currently protects people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Read the full piece from Seacoast Online<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n BACK FROM THE DEAD — TRUMP RENOMINATES ANTI-LGBTQ GOV. BROWNBACK:<\/strong> Last year, HRC sent a letter to senators on the Foreign Relations Committee<\/a> urging them to oppose Trump\u2019s nomination of staunch anti-LGBTQ politician Sam Brownback for the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. \u201cGiven Governor Brownback\u2019s anti-LGBTQ record, it is deeply worrying that he could use this position to promote the harmful idea that individuals holding certain religious views should somehow be permitted be discriminate against LGBTQ people or other minorities,\u201d said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy <\/strong>about his original nomination. \u201cThis is particularly concerning because LGBTQ people often face persecution in the same countries where religious minorities face persecution.\u2019\u201d More from Advocate<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n TUESDAY TWEET — <\/strong>INDIA\u2019S SUPREME COURT COULD END BAN ON SAME-SEX ACTS: <\/strong>In 2013<\/a>, the Supreme Court overturned a decision declaring the notorious Section 377 unconstitutional, reinstating the discriminatory anti-LGBTQ law. Last year, the Supreme Court of India ruled that<\/a> LGBTQ people have \u201creal rights founded on sound constitutional doctrine,\u201d and those rights \u201cdwell in privacy and dignity.\u201d The eloquent decision could signal the beginning of the end to the colonial-era law that bans same-sex<\/a> acts, making India one of 72 countries around the world<\/a> with such anti-LGBTQ laws. More from The Associated Press<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n It’s long past time the world’s largest democracy get rid of an archaic law criminalizing #LGBTQ<\/a> people. #India<\/a>‘s top court must uphold the dignity & basic human rights of LGBTQ people. \ufe0f\u200d\u00a0t.co\/C9Co9oxpBr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) January 8, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n HRC MOURNS CHRISTA LEIGH STEELE-KNUDSLIEN, FIRST TRANS WOMAN KNOWN TO BE MURDERED IN 2018: <\/strong>A local news outlet<\/a> reports that she was found dead in her home on Friday night in North Adams, Massachusetts. According to reports, Leigh Steele-Knudslien\u2019s husband, Mark, turned himself in Friday night, admitting to killing his wife. He pled not guilty during his arraignment yesterday and is being held without bail. Transgender advocate Monica Roberts on her TransGriot blog writes<\/a> that Steele-Knudslien organized and produced the Miss Trans New England and other pageants, and was loved and known by many in both the local and national trans<\/a> community. More from HRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n .@HRC<\/a> mourns the tragic loss of Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien, the first known case of deadly violence against the transgender community in 2018. t.co\/tocoTMcYXf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) January 8, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n MORNING MUST READ — \u201cUTAH NEEDS TO RECLAIM POSITION AS A SAFE HAVEN AGAINST HATE CRIME\u201d: <\/strong>The state\u2019s hate crimes law only applies to misdemeanors and does not name protected groups. Lawmakers hope to replace this insufficient measure with one that does more to protect Utahns. More from The Salt Lake Tribune<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n ANDREW MCDONALD TO BECOME FIRST NATION\u2019S FIRST OPENLY GAY CHIEF JUSTICE: <\/strong>Justice McDonald, a former state legislator, was chosen by Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy to lead the state\u2019s high court, and is expected to be confirmed by the state legislature. More from The Wall Street Journal<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n 301 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2018: <\/strong>Kim Davis, the notorious Kentucky county clerk who was jailed for contempt of court<\/a> after refusing to comply with a federal judge\u2019s order to issue marriage licenses in accordance with the law, has officially filed for re-election. She will square off against four candidates, including David Ermold, whose heated exchange with Davis<\/a> after she denied him and his partner a marriage license went viral. More from WKYT<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n TRANS MAN WHO DREAMT OF MILITARY CAREER FINALLY ABLE TO ENLIST: <\/strong>After months of waiting, Nicolas Talbott can continue pursuing his five-year dream to join the military. He tells Advocate, <\/em>\u201cAnybody who thinks transgender people are not as capable of serving in the military as anyone else has not looked at the research out there.\u201d More from Advocate<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n NEW EVIDENCE IN PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING — SHOOTER\u2019S WIFE KNEW HIS PLANS: <\/strong>A 12-page statement released by the FBI shows that the wife of the man<\/a> who took 49 innocent lives in the massacre in Orlando indicates she was aware of his plans months before the deadly rampage. More from USA Today<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n RYAN MURPHY SHARES POWERFUL AND PAINFUL STORY OF COMING OUT; TALKS ABOUT HISTORY-MAKING NEW SHOW: <\/strong>Murphy discusses the physical abuse he was subjected to after coming out to his father, and talks about how the deep emotions he experienced when he called transgender actors and told them they were being cast in his groundbreaking new series, Pose<\/em>. The series features the largest transgender cast ever in a scripted series. More from Deadline<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Pose\u2019 An Intensely Personal Project For Ryan Murphy, He Tells TV Critics At TCA t.co\/6ZytYMOAVZ<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/LpgpgdmyyH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 6, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n NONE OF THE NATION\u2019S 100 LARGEST CHURCHES AFFIRM LGBTQ PEOPLE: <\/strong>A study by Church Clarity found that all of the megachurches fail to have explicit policies affirming the LGBTQ community. More from South Florida Gay News<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n HRC MOURNS BLACK LGBTQ ADVOCATE JACKIE ANDERSON: <\/strong>Anderson, 75, was a prominent Black lesbian<\/a> advocate and professor at Olive-Harvey College in Chicago. More from Windy City Media Group<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n DESPITE POSITIVE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULING, TAIWAN REJECTING SAME-SEX MARRIAGES UNTIL LAW IS CHANGED: <\/strong>In May 2017, Taiwan\u2019s Constitutional Court ruled in favor<\/a> of marriage equality, paving the way for it to be the first in Asia to achieve such a milestone. However, at least three same-sex<\/a> couples<\/a> have had their marriage appeals denied by Taipei courts that have ruled the nation\u2019s law must be formally rewritten — which is supposed to happen in the next 16 months, according to the Constitutional Court\u2019s ruling.\u201d The latest petition to be rejected had been filed by<\/a> HRC Global Innovator Jennifer Lu and her partner. More from Taiwan News<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n GAY MUSLIM FLEES CHECHNYA FOLLOWING DEATH THREATS: <\/strong>In a powerful piece for NPR<\/em>, Joanna Kakissis (@joannakakissis<\/a>) tells the story of how Abdul Kadr\u2019s family came to kill him because he was gay<\/a> — and of his escape to the Netherlands with the help of his wife. In Chechnya, men<\/a> suspected of being gay<\/a> or bisexual<\/a> have been detained, tortured and even killed<\/a> by their own government. Hear the heartbreaking story at NPR<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n READING RAINBOW<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Pink News<\/em><\/a> reviews a new report on the lives of LGBTQ people in Ghana;<\/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-january-9-2018?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" #AM_Equality Tipsheet: January 9, 2018 SCOTUS TURNS AWAY CHALLENGE TO NATION\u2019S MOST ANTI-LGBTQ LAW: Mississippi\u2019s H.B. 1523 was signed into law in 2016, but was blocked by a federal district court shortly before its effective date. That decision was overturned by a conservative three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. … Continue reading #AM_Equality Tipsheet: January 9, 2018<\/span> \n
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