House LGBT Caucus applauds Dept. of Justice for recognizing transgender discrimination is civil rights violation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus applauded the Department of Justice for announcing that North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law violates civil rights laws and cannot be enforced.  The Caucus whose mission it is to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality issued the following statement. “The Department of Justice’s statement makes it clear…

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U.S. Justice Department says HB2 violates federal law, gives Gov. McCrory Monday deadline

The U.S. Department of Justice has determined North Carolina’s discriminatory HB 2 violates federal civil rights law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.  As reported by the Charlotte Observer, “The department gave state officials until Monday to address the situation ‘by confirming that the State will…

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Oxford Ala. City Council votes to repeal anti-transgender ordinance

MONTGOMERY Ala. – At a special meeting earlier today, the Oxford, Ala, City Council voted 3-2  to repeal a discriminatory new ordinance that would have prevented transgender residents and visitors from using public restroom facilities consistent with their gender identity. This anti-transgender law was unprecedented in its establishment of criminal penalties for violations — including a…

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Republican presidential nomination: And then there was one

John Kasich announced today that he is suspending his presidential nomination campaign. This follows Ted Cruz’s announcement yesterday that he too was suspending his campaign leaving Donald Trump as the only contender for the Republican Party’s shot at the White House. John Kasich calls himself “the only hope,” in a Tweet announcing the suspension of…

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International human rights groups launch campaign to support the LGBTI community in Indonesia

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – International human rights groups launched a global campaign today to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex community in Indonesia. Increasing homophobic and transphobic rhetoric by political and religious leaders has caused growing hostility toward members of the LGBTI community in Indonesia, the world’s fourth largest country by population. The…

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GLAAD releases 4th Studio Responsibility Index

NEW YORK, NY – GLAAD today released its fourth annual Studio Responsibility Index (SRI), a report that maps the quantity, quality, and diversity of LGBT people in films released by the seven largest motion picture studios and their subsidiaries during the 2015 calendar year. GLAAD found that of the 126 releases from major studios in…

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House Armed Services Committee votes to strip away LGBT non-discrimination protections

WASHINGTON – Today the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment during the markup of the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Sponsored by anti-LGBT Representative Steve Russell (R-OK), the amendment would dismantle President Obama’s executive order prohibiting discrimination in federal contracting based on sexual orientation or gender identity, under the guise of religious liberty….

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Oxford, Ala. City Council unanimously approves anti-transgender ordinance

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, the Oxford, Ala. City Council unanimously approved an anti-transgender ordinance that prevents transgender residents and visitors from using public restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity, and imposes a $500 fine or six months in jail on violators. This anti-transgender law is unprecedented in its establishment of criminal penalties…

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Hundreds of thousands call for repeal of North Carolina anti-LGBT law as legislature returns

RALEIGH, N.C. – Nearly 190,000 signatures demanding the repeal of North Carolina’s anti-LGBT House Bill 2 were delivered to the office of Gov. Pat McCrory today by a collection of civil rights, faith, business, and advocacy groups as the state legislature returns for the first time since it introduced and passed the law limiting legal…

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Jackson Public School Board unanimously adopts LGBT-inclusive employment policy

JACKSON, Miss. – Today the Jackson Public School Board of Trustees voted unanimously to extend fully-inclusive sexual orientation and gender identity workplace protections to their employees. With almost 30,000 students, the Jackson Public School district is second largest in the state and one of the first in the Mississippi Public School system to grant employment protections to…

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