Transgender woman launches new business to help local businesses conform to California transgender rights laws

LOS ANGELES — Even before Bruce Jenner transitioned to Caitlyn Jenner, transgender issues have been wide open and hotly debated, particularly in California and now in the business community around the country. The big question facing businesses in California is how to best handle an employee who is transitioning on the job, often after years of…

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White House appoints first transgender person as lead point of contact for LGBT groups on all issues

Raffi Freedman-Gurspan has been appointed by President Obama as the White House’s primary LGBT liaison. BuzzFeed News broke the story first as Freedman-Gurspan becomes the first transgender person in that role. In 2015, Freedman-Gurspan was hired by President Obama as an Outreach and Recruitment Director in the Presidential Personnel Office at the White House. She…

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South Dakota House fails to override governor’s veto of bill attacking transgender children

Failing to reach the required two-thirds majority needed, today the South Dakota House of Representatives voted 36 to 29 to override Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard’s veto of HB 1008 – reckless legislation attacking the dignity and rights of transgender children in public schools by attempting to prevent them from using restrooms and other facilities consistent…

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Advocacy groups urge Tennessee House subcommittee to ditch bill targeting the dignity and rights of transgender students

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the Tennessee Equality Project strongly urged the Tennessee House Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee to abandon a bill targeting the dignity and rights of transgender students in public elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as public universities.  Even more restrictive than the appalling legislation vetoed by Republican…

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Coalition of organizations delivers more than 80,000 signatures to South Dakota governor urging him to veto HB 1008

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) joined with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of South Dakota, Believe Out Loud and Reconciling Ministries, Freedom for All Americans, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and the Transgender Law Center to deliver over 80,000 petition signatures to South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard urging him…

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New HRC report reveals unprecedented onslaught of state legislation targeting transgender Americans

WASHINGTON – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released a report detailing an alarming onslaught of legislation nationwide targeting transgender people, and particularly children. An unprecedented 44 anti-transgender bills are being considered in 16 states, and the quantity of these harmful bills is as striking as their diversity: some undercut the ability of transgender people to access gender-affirming health…

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Major child advocacy groups urge nation’s governors to reject attacks on transgender children by state legislatures

As South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard faces a decision on whether to veto HB 1008 – legislation that would prevent transgender students in public schools from using restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity – seven national health, education, and child advocacy groups joined the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in calling on Daugaard…

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New report challenges the exclusion of transgender persons from enlisting in the U.S. military

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.—A new study shows that transgender active-duty U.S. military personnel report few lifetime mental and physical health problems. These findings challenge the current policy of excluding transgender persons from enlisting in the U.S. military or discharging them based on the presumption that they are unfit to serve due to their mental or physical…

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Legislation attacking trans children on the verge of becoming law in South Dakota

Thursday, by a vote of 4 to 2 in Senate Education Committee, South Dakota moved dangerously closer to being the first state in the nation to pass a law specifically attacking transgender children. H.B. 1008 would prevent transgender youth in public schools from using restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity and would put state…

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South Dakota passes bill authorizing taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBT people and single mothers

Last night the South Dakota House of Representatives voted on yet another extreme measure attacking LGBT South Dakotans. By a vote of 46 to 10, the chamber passed HB 1107 – legislation that would explicitly authorize recipients of taxpayer funds or other state recognition to discriminate against same-sex couples, transgender people, and single mothers. HB 1107 is…

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