SACRAMENTO – The Senate Banking Committee Wednesday passed legislation that helps prevent unnecessary foreclosures when a primary mortgage holder passes away. Senate Bill 1150, authored by Senators Mark Leno and Cathleen Galgiani, closes a loophole in California law that fails to provide surviving spouses and children important protections against foreclosure that are available to other…
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Wednesday, the Alabama House Judiciary Committee’s 7-5 voted to advance H.B. 413 — legislation that would add to the state’s hate crimes statute critical new protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Juandalynn Givan and Patricia Todd, now heads to the full…
The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office warned its LGBT citizens of the risks of traveling to North Carolina and Mississippi, which have enacted anti-LGBT laws. The updated travel warning comes just ahead of President Obama’s planned visit to England. The new Foreign Office advice states: “The US is an extremely diverse society and attitudes towards LGBT people…
The Tennessee General Assembly recently voted to pass HB 1840/SB 1556. Also known as Hate Bill 1840, HB1840 will permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider’s “strongly held beliefs.” Not only is the proposed legislation discriminatory in nature, but it is also an unnecessary government intrusion that could result in costly unintended consequences…
Today the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Education’s assertion that federal civil rights laws protect transgender students from discrimination. In a 2-1 decision, the court affirmed the Department of Education’s interpretation of Title IX of the Education Act of 1972 as protecting transgender students from discrimination, including allowing them to use…
Executives from Time Warner Cable, T-Mobile US, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Etsy, Zynga, and others have signed onto an open letter now including over 60 major CEOs and business leaders urging Missouri lawmakers to stop the discriminatory Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 39 from moving forward. SJR 39 would lead to a ballot measure that proposes to…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights today issued a statement regarding recent state laws passed, and proposals being considered, in the states of North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kansas. The full statement follows: The United States Commission on Civil Rights strongly condemns recent state laws passed, and proposals being considered, under the guise…
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Monday joined individuals from the transgender community, statewide LGBT organizations, local officials, civil rights groups, businesses, faith-based leaders and community members to launch Transform California – a statewide movement founded by Equality California and the Transgender Law Center to promote respect, understanding and safety for the transgender…
Appearing on ‘Meet the Press’ Sunday, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said he wouldn’t support a statewide non-discrimination law for the LGBT community and will not repeal H.B. 2, which removes the ability of people facing discrimination on any basis, including on the basis of race, religion, sex, and national origin, to sue in state…
A 9th Grade transgender North Carolina boy has written to the N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory about the discriminatory “bathroom bill” he signed into law a couple weeks ago. The boy, Skye Thomson, writes earnestly about the way the law effects him explaining what it’s like to be a trans kid and again asking the governor…
