HRC on Jeb Bush: An ‘LGBT-friendly’ Republican should support marriage equality and discrimination protections for all LGBT Americans

WASHINGTON – During the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this week, some media reports have suggested that Jeb Bush is the “gay-friendly Republican” of the 2016 cycle – even during the same week he is scheduled to meet with anti-LGBT activist Tony Perkins. The Human Rights Campaign’s Fred Sainz released the following statement: “At the…

Read More

More than 30 ‘religious freedom’ bills threaten jobs and economy in over a dozen states

WASHINGTON – Today, the Human Rights Campaign  issued an updated primer on a wave of more than 30 bills threatening LGBT equality in the guise of “religious freedom” across the country. In addition, HRC is specifically spotlighting the harm these bills will do to jobs and economic activity in the states where they are being…

Read More

Facebook unveils new option allowing users to describe their own gender identity

Social networking giant Facebook today rolled out a new, inclusive feature that will allow individuals to use their own words to describe their gender identity. The change builds on the “Custom Gender” option introduced last year by Facebook, which provides users a list of more than 50 gender identities they can choose from to describe…

Read More

HRC unveils Website highlighting GOP candidates’ record on LGBT equality

WASHINGTON – As potential Republican candidates gather this week in Washington, D.C. for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released a new microsite 2016: Republican Facts that will serve as an online resource for documenting the record and rhetoric of potential 2016 GOP presidential candidates, and where they stand on…

Read More

Georgians are uniting against LGBT discrimination

ATLANTA – Today,  the Human Rights Campaign announced it is joining forces with Georgia Equality, an organization working to advance fairness, safety and opportunity for LGBT communities and allies throughout the state, for a project called “Georgia Unites Against Discrimination.” Launched by Georgia Equality in January of this year, Georgia Unites Against Discrimination is a…

Read More

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter addresses transgender service

Recently, Department of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter addressed the issue of military service by transgender people – who are currently prohibited from serving openly – in a town hall in Kandahar, Afghanistan. When asked about transgender service members serving in “austere environments” like Afghanistan, Secretary Carter ended his response by saying, “And I don’t think…

Read More

HRC partners with State Department to support LGBT communities abroad

WASHINGTON –– The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has announced its newly formed partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Global Equality Fund. Established in 2011 by then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the fund brings together governments, corporations, foundations, and civil society organizations to work towards a world where LGBT people can live free of…

Read More

Diverse group of celebrities sign The People’s Brief

Since the launch of The People’s Brief, a diverse group of prominent celebrities, athletes, entertainers and politicians have stood up in support of nationwide marriage equality, writes Hayley Miller on the HRC Blog. The People’s Brief is an unprecedented effort by HRC to give every American a chance to share their support of marriage equality directly…

Read More

HRC to Gov. Hutchinson of Arkansas: Veto SB202 now

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— Today, HRC Arkansas has called on Gov. Asa Hutchinson to exercise his executive powers and veto Senate Bill 202 (SB202), which would prohibit municipalities from enacting nondiscrimination ordinances that protect LGBT people. Anti-LGBT Arkansas State Senator Bart Hester is sponsor of SB202, the “Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act”. If SB202 takes effect, Arkansas cities…

Read More

Epidemic of anti-LGBT violence continues with murder of Ohio youth

Last Friday night, 52-year-old Kevin Golec fatally stabbed his child – a 22-year-old who appears to have gone by both Brian Golec and Bri Golec – during a domestic dispute, writes Beth Sherouse on the HRC Blog. Local media identified the slain youth as male, but LGBT news outlets have offered conflicting reports – based on…

Read More