WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 100 Members of Congress wrote to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis asking him to provide any “discussions or correspondence between the White House and the Pentagon” that purportedly informed President Trump’s decision to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military. The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal…
JACKSON, Miss. — Today, HB 1523 is set to go into effect in the state of Mississippi, granting Mississippians the ability to use so-called “religious exemptions” to legally deny LGBTQ people employment, housing, adoption rights, marriage licenses, and even services at a local business. This follows Department of Justice guidance released last Friday which is…
NEW YORK, N.Y. — SAGE, the nation’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT elders, has announced its 22nd Annual SAGE Awards & Gala will take place Monday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m., at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Honorees this year include: Citi, which will receive the Corporate…
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Gov. Jerry Brown Friday signed into law landmark legislation to reform outdated laws that unfairly criminalized and stigmatized people living with HIV. Senate Bill (SB) 239 was authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Asm. Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) and cosponsored by Equality California, the ACLU of California, APLA Health, Black AIDS Institute,…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that creates a “bill of rights” for LGBTQ seniors in long-term care. Senate Bill (SB) 219, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California, will help protect seniors from discrimination or mistreatment in long-term care facilities. “Our LGBT seniors built…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Justice Friday issued guidance to federal agencies encouraging a dangerously broad interpretation of religious freedom laws that will open the door to discrimination against LGBT people, women, and religious minorities. The guidance is a follow-up to President Trump’s May executive order that signaled an intent to expand religious exemptions….
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Friday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Equality NC and the Mecklenburg LGBT Political Action Committee (MeckPAC) announced their endorsement of Vi Lyles for mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. “Vi Lyles is committed to building a stronger community and advancing equality for LGBTQ Charlotteans,” said HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse. “With the experience and vision needed…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued guidance today, which invites taxpayer funded federal agencies, government employees, and government contractors to legally discriminate as long as they cite a religious belief as the reason for doing it. This guidance follows the anti-LGBTQ executive order signed by President Trump – which could ultimately…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Trump Administration rolled back a mandate in President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) which required employers and insurers under the ACA to provide health insurance that allowed affordable opportunities to acquire birth control and contraception access. Instead, employers can now claim so-called “religious exemptions” as an excuse to deny healthcare…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law legislation by California State Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) that will protect California’s most vulnerable during and after declared states of emergency. AB 607, known as the Community Resiliency and Disaster Preparedness Act of 2017, takes steps to ensure that Californians who receive public…
