On June 10, the Obama Adminstration set forth new policy guidelines expanding states’ ability to provide same-sex couples with the same coverage offered to straight couples via Medicaid. The Washington Blade reports that, under the new guidelines, states may permit physically able partners in same-sex relationships to retain their homes even if their ill or…
A new bill was introduced yesterday by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) that would put an end to the unequal taxation of employer-provided health insurance for domestic partners. In an unusual twist for equality-oriented legislation, the bill enjoys bipartisan backing with both Democratic LGBT advocates and Republican politicians lined up to co-sponsor…
A landmark study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and focused on American LGBT high school students nationwide has shown that gay, lesbian and bisexual teens experience higher health risk than their heterosexual peers. The study, which is one of the first and largest studies of its kind in the U.S.,…
In a landmark move for professional sports organizations against LGBT discrimination, the San Francisco Giants released a highly anticipated video yesterday for the It Gets Better Project on behalf of LGBT youth. USA Today reports that the video, which features a number of Giants players including well-known pitcher Barry Zito, expresses empathy with teens and…
Mimi Laver, the Director of Legal Education at the ABA Center on Children and Law, has initiated the creation of an LGBT bullying and discrimination awareness campaign to educate legal professionals about the increasingly pertinent plight of underserved LGBT youth in America. Laver’s campaign, known as The Opening Doors Project, is the first national program…
Last week, comedian Lisa Lampanelli told her Twitter followers that she would pledge $1,000 to the GMHS (Gay Men’s Health Crisis, one of New York’s most venerable HIV/AIDS prevention organization) for every protester sent to her Friday performance in Topeka by the violently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church group. A long-time advocate on behalf of the…
NBC news reports that a 32-year-old transgender woman was assaulted Saturday in a convenience-store parking lot in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Natatia Bledsoe, a spokeswoman for the city police department, explained that the victim testified to being taunted about her sexual orientation during the beating by three suspects, including one, Laqueta Webb, who is now in custody….
Yesterday, Nissan was among the many businesses in Tennessee and around the world to voice opposition to HB600/SB632 – the proposed law that would remove discrimination protections for LGBT individuals throughout the state. The car manufacturer issued an official statement against the discriminatory bill, stating that the company shares “public concerns about this bill’s impact…
Despite resistance from the Tennessee business community and nationwide activist organizations, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has signed into law a bill proposing the eradication of anti-discrimination measures. The bill was approved by the state legislature last week, and signifies a blow to LGBT individuals and communities who now stand unprotected by any state-enforced anti-discrimination policies….
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced today that the results of a new poll conducted in cooperation between HRC and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research show the majority of American Christians to be in favor of LGBT equality. The poll, which included a cross-section of Christian denominations including Catholics, Protestants, Mormons and others, revealed that Christians…
