Federal court decision upholds civil rights protections for transgender students

Today the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Education’s assertion that federal civil rights laws protect transgender students from discrimination. In a 2-1 decision, the court affirmed the Department of Education’s interpretation of Title IX of the Education Act of 1972 as protecting transgender students from discrimination, including allowing them to use…

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Missouri: Execs from Time Warner, T-Mobile, Starwood, and others call for defeat of SJR 39

Executives from Time Warner Cable, T-Mobile US, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Etsy, Zynga, and others have signed onto an open letter now including over 60 major CEOs and business leaders urging Missouri lawmakers to stop the discriminatory Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 39 from moving forward. SJR 39 would lead to a ballot measure that proposes to…

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Study finds transgender college students at higher risk for suicide attempts after denial of access to bathrooms, appropriate housing

ATLANTA—Transgender university and college students are at a significantly higher risk for suicide attempts when their campus experience includes being denied access to bathrooms and gender-appropriate campus housing, a Georgia State University study finds. “An alarmingly high proportion of the transgender individuals participating in this study – 46.5 percent – had a history of attempted…

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Nationwide LGBTQ crowdsourcing campaign reveals optimism about the future, fear of backlash

WASHINGTON, DC – LGBTQ Americans have much to celebrate in growing public acceptance and legal victories in recent years, but many worry these gains might be lost in the face of a conservative backlash. This insight on the “tempered optimism” of LGBTQ Americans emerged from a crowdsourcing campaign designed to understand the hopes, fears and…

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The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issues statement condemning recent state laws and pending proposals targeting the LGBT community

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights today issued a statement regarding recent state laws passed, and proposals being considered, in the states of North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kansas. The full statement follows: The United States Commission on Civil Rights strongly condemns recent state laws passed, and proposals being considered, under the guise…

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Statewide movement launched to promote safety and respect for the transgender community

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Monday joined individuals from the transgender community, statewide LGBT organizations, local officials, civil rights groups, businesses, faith-based leaders and community members to launch Transform California – a statewide movement founded by Equality California and the Transgender Law Center to promote respect, understanding and safety for the transgender…

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N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory on ‘Meet the Press’ – No repeal on HB 2

Appearing on ‘Meet the Press’ Sunday,  North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said he wouldn’t support a statewide non-discrimination law for the LGBT community and will not repeal H.B. 2, which removes the ability of people facing discrimination on any basis, including on the basis of race, religion, sex, and national origin, to sue in state…

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Gwen Stefani set to launch North American tour

Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter Gwen Stefani will return to the road this summer as she launches her “This Is What the Truth Feels Like” 2016 tour July 12 in Boston, Massachusetts. Gwen’s highly anticipated tour will bring high-energy performances to dozens of cities throughout North America including Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Tampa and Vancouver this Summer…

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