HRC releases critical measure of municipal LGBTQ inclusivity and key corporate tool

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thursday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, released its sixth annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law, policy and services. The 2017 MEI reveals new heights in municipal LGBTQ equality in nearly every regard. A record…

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LGBTQ community responds to NC Gov. Cooper’s executive order extending limited protections

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), National Center for Transgender Equality, and Equality NC have responded to Gov. Roy Cooper’s signing of an executive order extending limited additional protections for LGBTQ people employed by the state or receiving state services. The executive order reaffirms protections already in place for state employees and extends…

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Jeff Sessions plugs Trump’s immigration priorities in Austin speech

AUSTIN, Texas — Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions plugged the Trump Administration’s immigration priorities in a speech in Austin, Texas. During his remarks, Sessions openly praised SB4, a recent Texas bill which, as passed, effectively turns state and local law enforcement officers into federal immigration agents by allowing them to question the immigration status of people…

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ACLU takes legal action defending rights of Maryland transgender students

BALTIMORE, Md. — The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion today to defend a Maryland school board’s policies that prevent discrimination, harassment, and stigmatization of transgender and gender nonconforming students in the school system. The policies ensure that transgender students can, among other things, use school facilities in accordance with their gender identity. A…

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HRC files FOIA request for Trump administration letter to Russian foreign minister on anti-LGBTQ Chechen attacks

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. Department of State for all records regarding a letter that Secretary Tillerson reportedly sent earlier this summer to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressing the violence against LGBTQ people in Chechnya. “The very fact that…

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ACLU of Montana challenges anti-LGBTQ I-183 as unconstitutional

HELENA, Mont. — The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana announced a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the constitutionality of the anti-LGBTQ I-183. The ballot initiative seeks to prevent transgender and gender-nonconforming Montanans from using public facilities that correspond with their gender identity by restricting access to public facilities in public spaces, such as libraries, parks, and schools. I-183 would…

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Sen. Kamala Harris presses OPM director nominee on diversity and protecting federal LGBTQ employees from discrimination

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Kamala D. Harris pressed the nominee for director of Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Dr. Jeff Pon, Wednesday on diversity, inclusion and protecting LGBTQ federal employees from discrimination during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing. Sen. Harris highlighted the need for OPM to make aggressive efforts to…

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HRC endorses Justin Fairfax for lieutenant governor of Virginia

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced it has endorsed Democratic candidate Justin Fairfax for lieutenant governor of Virginia. With an estimated 185,366 LGBTQ eligible voters and hundreds of thousands more allied voters in the commonwealth, HRC has also endorsed Ralph Northam for governor and Mark Herring for attorney general. “Justin Fairfax is the…

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Civil and Human Rights Coalition raises serious concerns about Attorney General Sessions’ job performance on eve of oversight hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tuesday, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the eve of the oversight hearing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, raising serious concerns about the Justice Department’s record on issues that are critically important to the civil and human rights community. The hearing marks…

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