Over the next two weeks, a decision will be made at the United Nations (UN) on whether governments globally will accept discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. While the UN General Assembly cannot remove the ban on discrimination from Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter itself, Egypt…
NEW YORK, N.Y.— The United Nations human rights office on Friday expressed deep concern about a wave of arrests in Azerbaijan, Egypt and Indonesia of more than 180 people perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), many of whom have reportedly been mistreated by law enforcement officials. “Arresting or detaining people based on…
GENEVA — United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein Tuesday launched an unprecedented set of global standards to support the business community in tackling discrimination against lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex people. Addressing an audience of business leaders, activists and journalists at Microsoft’s New York City headquarters, Zeid called on…
WASHINGTON, D.C.— As the American Civil Liberties Union announced the filing of a landmark lawsuit challenging LGBT adoption discrimination practices in Michigan, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) unveiled a national ad and policy report underscoring the potential dangers that adoption-related religious exemption laws pose to children. The “Kids Pay the Price” ad, released in partnership…
Today, Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights posted a piece in SCOTUSblog as part of their Special Feature: Summer symposium on Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Gupta’s piece is reproduced below and is also available at: http://www.scotusblog.com/2017/09/symposium-discrimination-not-fundamental-american-value/. More than five decades ago, our country wrestled…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On behalf of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley), introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 22 today condemning President Trump’s announcement that he will ban transgender individuals from serving in the military and directing the California military to not discriminate against transgender service members. “Trump’s decision to ban transgender people…
AUSTIN, Texas — Five anti-transgender bills were filed last week to kick off Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s “special discrimination session” at the Texas Capitol in Austin. Gov. Abbott called for a special session of the Texas state legislature largely to pass legislation that openly targets and discriminates against transgender Texans. The debate is already having…
NEW YORK – The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decided Thursday to lift an injunction on HB 1523, granting Mississippians the ability to use so-called “religious exemptions” to deny LGBTQ people employment, housing, adoption rights, marriage licenses, and even services at a local business. “LGBTQ people in Mississippi learned that they could be wrongly…
AUSTIN, Texas — Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 3859 into law — a patently discriminatory bill which allows child welfare organizations, including adoption and foster care agencies, to turn away qualified Texans seeking to care for a child in need, including LGBTQ couples, interfaith couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in housing. A companion bill to bipartisan legislation introduced in March by Reps. Scott Taylor (R-VA) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Fair and Equal Housing Act would provide consistent and explicit non-discrimination…
