{"id":67088,"date":"2018-04-11T10:25:35","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T14:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/am_equality-tipsheet-march-11-2018\/"},"modified":"2018-04-11T10:25:35","modified_gmt":"2018-04-11T14:25:35","slug":"am_equality-tipsheet-march-11-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/am_equality-tipsheet-march-11-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"#AM_Equality Tipsheet: March 11, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: March 11, 2018<\/b>
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TODAY — HRC PRESIDENT CHAD GRIFFIN (<\/strong>@CHADHGRIFFIN<\/strong><\/a>) TO SPEAK AT OKLAHOMA PRESS CONFERENCE: <\/strong>SB 1140, a license to discriminate in child welfare services bill, which has passed the Oklahoma Senate, is likely to have a hearing today in the House Judiciary Committee. The bill would make it harder for kids to find foster and adoptive families by allowing taxpayer-funded government contractors to refuse to work with LGBTQ individuals, same-sex<\/a> families, or other qualified prospective parents who do not share all the tenets of the contractor\u2019s faith. HRC will hold a press conference at 2:30 PM CT, alongside Freedom Oklahoma and other advocates to discuss the harms this bill will cause, and to encourage Oklahomans to contact their representatives and voice their opposition to the measure.<\/p>\n

HAWAII HOUSE OF REPS PASSES BILL TO PROTECT YOUTH FROM \u201cCONVERSION THERAPY\u201d: <\/strong>It moves to conference committee before it can go to Governor David Ige\u2019s desk for his signature. Last month, Hawaii\u2019s State Senate passed SB 270<\/a> with only one senator voting against it. \u201cSo-called \u2018conversion therapy\u2019 is nothing short of child abuse with life-threatening consequences for countless LGBTQ youth,\u201d said HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof<\/strong>. \u201cIt is time Hawaii join the growing number of states that are enacting laws to protect LGBTQ youth from this dangerous and discredited practice.\u201d More from HRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

WHAT WE\u2019RE WATCHING WEDNESDAY:\u00a0 <\/strong>In a new video<\/a> for \u201cI Need A Woman To Love,\u201d Kesha (@KeshaRose<\/a>) officiates a same-sex<\/a> wedding. The song is from an album featuring Kesha, Bob Dylan and others recreating classic songs to be about same-sex<\/a> love. More from Billboard<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

HRC ENDORSES BETO O\u2019ROURKE FOR THE U.S. SENATE: <\/strong>\u201cThe choice for Texas voters this November could not be starker. While Ted Cruz has spent his career undermining the rights of LGBTQ people for his own cynical, political gain, Beto O’Rourke is a proven champion of equality who will defend the rights of all Texans,\u201d said HRC President Chad Griffin<\/strong>. \u201cNow more than ever, it is crucial we have elected officials such as O’Rourke pushing back against the Trump-Pence agenda in Washington and fighting for the rights of all their constituents back home, including those who are LGBTQ. By electing Beto O’Rourke and defeating the anti-equality Ted Cruz, we can not only pull the emergency brake on this administration’s hate-fueled agenda, but send a message that the days of attacking LGBTQ people for political gain are over.\u201d More from HRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

HRC ENDORSES KATE MARSHALL FOR NEVADA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: <\/strong>\u201cKate Marshall\u2019s commitment to equality and years of service to the people of Nevada make her the clear choice for voters,\u201d said HRC Nevada State Manager Briana Escamilla<\/strong>. \u201cAs Lieutenant Governor, I have no doubt she will work hard to advance equality in the Silver State.\u201d More from HRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

MORNING MUST READ FROM ARIZONA REPUBLIC<\/em> — \u201cWHY PARENTS ARE LOSING CUSTODY OF TRANS AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING KIDS\u201d: <\/strong>Researchers have found no evidence that a parent can \u201cforce\u201d a child to be transgender, but experts say family courts often act based on fear or misinformation.\u00a0 Arizona Republic<\/em>\u2019s Maria Polletta (@mpolletta<\/a>) explores this in the context of an Arizona judge who issued injunctions forbidding a mother from affirming her daughter\u2019s identity during a custody case. More from Arizona Republic<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

LATEST IN A GROWING TREND — TEXAS DISTRICT COURT RULES FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT LAW PROTECTS TRANSGENDER WORKERS: <\/strong>The case involved an engineer who alleged she was not hired by an energy company because she is transgender. More from Dallas Morning News<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY PASSES RESOLUTION TO APOLOGIZE FOR PAST ANTI-LGBTQ LAWS: <\/strong>It is the first state to do so. More from Los Angeles Blade<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

KENDRA JOHNSON NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EQUALITY NORTH CAROLINA:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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We are proud to announce that @HRC<\/a> Arkansas State Director Kendra Johnson is the new Executive Director of @EqualityNC<\/a>. Kendra is a great leader and champion of #LGBTQ<\/a> equality and we are sad to see her go, but look forward to working with her in the Tar Heel State. t.co\/lo8YCO43vU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) April 10, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

MICHAEL JOHNSON GRANTED PAROLE IN CASE INVOLVING DISCRIMINATORY MISSOURI HIV STATUTE: <\/strong>Johnson, a former Missouri college student, had been convicted of violating Missouri\u2019s discriminatory HIV transmission and exposure statute. As part of a plea deal last year, he was sentenced to 10 years. More from BuzzFeed<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n