State of Washington reinstates ban on taxpayer-funded travel to NC

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee just reinstated a ban on all taxpayer-funded travel to North Carolina. The announcement comes after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Senate President Phil Berger, and House Speaker Tim Moore passed a law — HB 142 — doubling down on many of the worst aspects of the state’s notorious anti-LGBTQ HB2 law. Washington…

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Texas lawmakers to debate new ‘bathroom bill’

AUSTIN, Texas –The Texas House of Representatives plans to introduce a new “bathroom bill” that mimics North Carolina’s so-called “repeal” to its HB 2. Texas’s HB 2899 would invalidate all existing local non-discrimination LGBTQ ordinances in Texas and pave the way for future anti-LGBTQ bills that could further harm all LGBTQ Texans. The Dallas News…

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Case targeting rights of Minnesota transgender teen dropped

ST. PAUL, Minn. — An organization that filed a federal lawsuit last year to bar transgender students from using locker rooms consistent with their gender identity today announced that they have voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit. The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Minnesota had intervened in the case on behalf of a transgender…

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San Diego strong

Over the last year, I have had the pleasure of travelling to Sacramento to represent the Addiction Treatment Advocacy Coalition (ATAC), a group that advocates for those who suffer from Substance Use Disorder and those facilities that provide treatment. As the president of ATAC, I have met with regulators and legislators throughout the California capitol…

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LGBTQ advocacy groups hail growing list of cities and states banning official travel to North Carolina

WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Equality NC hailed the news that Chicago and California are maintaining their bans on taxpayer-funded travel to North Carolina. The announcements come after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Senate President Phil Berger, and House Speaker Tim Moore passed a law doubling down on many of the worst aspects of the state’s…

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New activist video series features LGBTQ puppets and puppeteer

NEW YORK — A new video series, “BreakthroughU,” is tackling complicated social issues, like gender-based violence, intersectionality* and culture change, issues that are at the heart of the work that Breakthrough has been doing for over 17 years. The videos employ an unusual approach — puppets. A cast of rainbow-colored puppets represents a range of…

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California Attorney General Xavier Becerra: North Carolina remains on list of restricted states

SACRAMENTO, Calif.- Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that California will continue to prohibit state-funded and state-sponsored travel and expenditures to North Carolina based on that state’s discriminatory laws. The decision was reached following North Carolina’s enactment of House Bill 142 (H.B. 142). While this bill repealed the state’s controversial “bathroom bill” (H.B. 2), H.B. 142 bans state and…

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Chechnya update: Detentions continue

ILGA-Europe’s latest update reports that the Russian LGBT Network has continued its fact finding mission on the alarming arbitrary detention, torture and killing of (perceived) gay men in Chechnya. News of the ongoing situation has received widespread media attention, but unfortunately the situation has not yet been resolved. According to information obtained by Novaya Gazeta,…

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