National TV ad depicting transgender discrimination to premiere during RNC (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON —  Equality Federation is partnering in the launch of a groundbreaking ad depicting the challenges faced by transgender people in accessing public restrooms—and highlighting the lack of state and federal nondiscrimination protections for transgender people—that will have its national television debut on FOX News Channel next Thursday, July 21, during the final night of the…

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Weekly Address: Standing together to stop the violence

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In this week’s address, Vice President Joe Biden commemorated the lives of the five police officers who were killed and the seven people who were wounded in Dallas. The police officers were providing safety to those who were peacefully marching against racial injustices in the criminal justice system – and the shocking…

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Diversity of UC San Diego’s new fall 2016 freshman admits up by 46.2 percent

The University of California San Diego has admitted a record 30,273 freshman and 9,802 transfer students for the fall 2016 term. The number of new freshmen is up 3,773 compared to last year and there is also an increase among transfer admits by 1,652 students. Historically underrepresented students are up 46.2 percent at freshman level…

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AIDS United: Supervised injection facilities could help curtail opioid overdose, HIV and HCV transmission

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The AIDS United Public Policy Committee, the largest and longest-running national coalition of community-based HIV/AIDS organizations, calls for the local implementation of supervised injection facilities as part of a comprehensive public health approach to reduce overdose deaths, prevent the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C and improve quality of life among people…

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Florida reinstates LGBTQ protections for foster youth

Florida’s Department of Children and Families has restored protections for LGBTQ youth in group home care. Equality Florida and child welfare experts met with DCF Secretary Mike Carroll immediately after language that would have protected LGBTQ youth was removed from proposed changes to the rules governing group homes. Child welfare agencies had advocated for the…

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Department of Defense ends ban on transgender people serving openly in the U.S. military

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter today announced that transgender individuals will now be able to openly serve in the U.S. armed forces. The DoD policy announced today also establishes a construct by which service members may transition gender while serving, sets standards for medical care and outlines responsibilities for military services and commanders to develop…

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House LGBT Caucus denounces hearing on ‘License to Discriminate’ legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus today denounced the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s decision to hold a hearing on H.R. 2802, which would give a government ‘license to discriminate’ to businesses and non-profits to discriminate against LGBT people.  The Committee’s decision to hold a hearing on this anti-LGBT legislation comes in the…

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Drunk driving prevention bill approved by Senate Committee

SAN DIEGO – Legislation by California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) to require all restaurant and bar employees who sell or serve alcoholic beverages to undergo Responsible Beverage Service training was approved on a 10-0 vote by the Senate Governmental Organization Committee today. Assembly Bill 2121 will make responsible beverage training mandatory statewide for anyone serving alcoholic beverages….

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