Senators call for non-discrimination executive order from President Obama

WASHINGTON – Thirty-seven United States senators, led by Sen. Jeff Merkley, have today sent a letter to President Obama urging him to issue an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating in hiring on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.  Because of a lack of federal protections, it remains legal to fire or…

Read Full News

Trans people, reparative therapy and civil rights

Last September, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill protecting LGBT youth from the psychological abuse of reparative therapy (sometimes referred to as conversion therapy). SB 1172, due to a temporary injunction by the federal courts, isn’t currently being enforced. The Liberty Counsel argued for three plaintiffs who practiced reparative therapy that implementation of the law…

Read Full News

LGBT workplace protection bill passes Virginia Senate

RICHMOND, Va. – Senate Bill 701, a measure to protect Virginia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender state employees from workplace discrimination, passed today with a 24-16 vote in the Senate.  Now, the bill moves forward to the House of Delegates. “We’re going to press forward with this momentum,” said Senator Adam Ebbin, a chief patron…

Read Full News

Bill protecting Virginia’s LGBT state employees moves to Senate floor

RICHMOND, Va. – Today, Senate Bill 701 was moved out of the General Laws and Technology Committee with an 8-7 vote and will be scheduled in the Senate. “We’re glad the committee listened to the thousands of Virginians that messaged their delegates and senators on this issue.” James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia, said. …

Read Full News