PA Gov. Wolf expands non-discrimination protections for state workers, contractors

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf today signed two executive orders that expand protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender expression or identity for state employees and, for the first time, employees of contractors doing business with the commonwealth. Governor Wolf’s executive orders come as the Pennsylvania Fairness Act, which would apply these…

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Pennsylvania governor to sign LGBT non-discrimination executive orders

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has announced that he will sign executive orders stating “no agency under the governor’s jurisdiction shall discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender expression, and identity, among other areas.”  According to the governor’s office, one of the executive orders will pertain to commonwealth employees and the other to the commonwealth grants…

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Scripps recognized for health care equality for LGBT patients

SAN DIEGO – Scripps Health’s five hospital campuses have each been recognized as a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” in the Healthcare Equality Index 2016, an annual survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organization. The survey is used to…

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Mississippi governor signs law attacking LGBT people and families

JACKSON, Miss. – Today, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law H.B. 1523, “The Religious Liberty Accommodations Act.” National corporations and businesses have spoken out against the horrific measure, that would allow individuals, religious organizations and private associations to use religion to discriminate against LGBT Mississippians in some of the most important aspects of their…

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New federal housing policy aims to eliminate discrimination against LGBTQ people with a criminal record

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a new federal policy that aims to eliminate housing discrimination against people with a criminal history, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people with a criminal record. The new policy clarifies that using criminal history to justify a negative housing decision,…

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Jason Collins: North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law ‘casts dark shadow over tonight’s NCAA Championship game’

As the University of North Carolina (UNC) men’s basketball team heads to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship game tonight, its hard work and success are being overshadowed by the reckless actions of North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and state lawmakers. Jason Collins, the first active NBA player to come out as gay,…

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Virginia governor vetoes anti-LGBT bill

Today, Virgina Gov. Terry McAuliffe vetoed an anti-LGBT bill  that would have allowed businesses to discriminate against LGBT people based on their religious opposition to same-sex marriage. The Advocate reported that the bill would have prevented the state from penalizing businesses and individuals who cite faith-based grounds for discriminating against same-sex couples, transgender people, and…

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Bank of America, American Airlines, Cisco, Miramax and Uber join list demanding repeal of N.C. HB 2

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC),and Equality NC, have announced that executives from Bank of America, American Airlines, Cisco, Miramax, Uber, Google Ventures, and Braeburn Pharmaceuticals have signed onto an open letter that now includes more than 90 leading CEOs and business leaders calling on Gov. Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the…

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N.C. attorney general will not defend anti-LGBT law

RALEIGH, N.C. – In a press conference Tuesday, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper has said his office will not defend HB2, the law adopted last week that strikes down locally enacted protections for LGBT people, saying that the bill is unconstitutional. The News Observer reported that Cooper called the measure “a national embarrassment” that…

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Georgia governor will veto anti-LGBT bill

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal announced this morning he will veto H.B. 757, a “religious liberty” bill that passed the state legislature. The legislation, which sparked a massive backlash of opposition from a broad array of civil rights groups and leaders in Hollywood and corporate America, would have weakened local non-discrimination protections, allowed businesses to discriminate…

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