Despite Historic Filibuster, Missouri Senate Advances Legislative Assault on LGBT People

Today, HRC, the ACLU of Missouri, and PROMO strongly condemned a vote of 21 to 11 by the Missouri Senate in favor of Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 39 – a measure that could enshrine discrimination against LGBT people and their families into the state constitution. Similar to so-called “First Amendment Defense Act” legislation introduced in other states, this outrageous and extreme resolution would lead to a ballot measure that proposes to allow individuals, organizations, and businesses to use religion as a valid excuse to discriminate against LGBT people by broadly redefining the definition of religious organizations. The measure must receive one final administrative approval vote before being sent to the House of Representatives.

The vote to pass the outrageous proposal attacking LGBT Missourians and their families came after a historic filibuster effort by Senate Democrats attempting to stop the anti-equality majority. The discriminatory proposal has received widespread condemnation from fair-minded Missourians and businesses throughout the state, includingGovernor Jay Nixon, the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the St. Louis Regional Chamber, Dow Chemical Company, and Monsanto. The St. Louis Regional Chamber said the proposal is “counter to MO values & will have negative economic consequences.” Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders also spoke out against the bill.

“Religious freedom is one of our nation’s fundamental values, and that’s why it’s firmly protected in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “This reckless legislation has nothing to do with religious freedom and everything to do with enabling discrimination against LGBT Missourians and their families. Discrimination against LGBT people should never be sanctioned by the state, and we call on the Missouri House of Representatives to resoundingly reject this outrageous resolution.”

“Laws that promote discrimination are anti-democratic, harm Missouri families, and – as we’ve learned in Indiana – are bad for our economy,” said ACLU of Missouri Executive Director Jeffrey Mittman. “That is why so many Missourians, including clergy and business leaders, strongly oppose any effort – such as SJR 39 – that would seek to enshrine inequality in our Missouri Constitution.”

“We agree that religion is a fundamental right, which is why it is protected in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and in our existing Human Rights Act. We are not arguing that clergy and churches should be denied their freedom of religion,” said PROMO Executive Director Steph Perkins. “But those same religious beliefs cannot be used as a reason to deny someone the same services that are offered to the rest of the public by private businesses. And that is exactly what SJR 39 aims to do. Businesses and organizations have already been rightly concerned about the consequences of this bill and are outspoken in their opposition.”

SJR 39 goes far beyond protecting the right of free exercise of one’s religion. While shrouded in language framed as prohibiting the state government from making funding or tax status decisions based on an organization’s views on marriage that are driven by religious belief, in reality it opens the door to discrimination against same-sex couples, their families, and those who love them.

The legislation could have reckless intended and unintended consequences. If voted into law, LGBT people and their families could suddenly find themselves at risk of being denied many basic services. Taxpayer-funded foster care providers and adoption agencies could refuse to place children in need of loving homes with same-sex couples. Taxpayer-funded homeless shelters could turn away LGBT couples and their families. Businesses could refuse to provide goods or services to same-sex couples. The measure could also undermine existing LGBT non-discrimination protections passed at the local level, including in cities like Columbia, Kansas City, and St. Louis.

The resolution addresses no real problem in the state as no federal or state law requires religious organizations or clergy to sanction or perform same-sex marriages.

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Lilly Wachowski Comes Out as Transgender

Today, filmmaker Lilly Wachowski, sister of director and producer Lana Wachowski, took a stand in the Windy City Times against tabloid reporters who attempted to out her against her will.

In the statement, Lilly called out those who continue to demoralize and demonize transgender people.

She writes:

“I am one of the lucky ones. Having the support of my family and the means to afford doctors and therapists has given me the chance to actually survive this process. Transgender people without support, means and privilege do not have this luxury. And many do not survive. In 2015, the transgender murder rate hit an all-time high in this country. A horrifying disproportionate number of the victims were trans women of color. These are only the recorded homicides so, since trans people do not all fit in the tidy gender binary statistics of murder rates, it means the actual numbers are higher.

And though we have come a long way since Silence of the Lambs, we continue to be demonized and vilified in the media where attack ads portray us as potential predators to keep us from even using the goddamn bathroom. The so-called bathroom bills that are popping up all over this country do not keep children safe, they force trans people into using bathrooms where they can be beaten and or murdered. We are not predators, we are prey.”

Coming out is a long and arduous process. For those people whose gender identity or innate sense of their own gender doesn’t match with the gender assigned at birth, unraveling and expressing it can be complex and difficult. , unraveling and expressing it can be complex and difficult.

HRC stands in support of Lilly for taking this brave step forward and condemns the outlets that attempt to threaten those on their personal journey to living openly and authentically.

In 2012, HRC celebrated Lilly’s sister Lana Wachowski, who directed “Cloud Atlas” with the HRC’s Visibility Award.

For HRC’s transgender visibility resource guide, visit www.hrc.org/resources/transgender-visibility-guide

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Senator Jeanne Shaheen Introduces Global Respect Act in Senate

HRC hailed the introduction of the Global Respect Act in the Senate by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The bill would provide a new mechanism to prevent the world’s most anti-LGBT state actors from receiving a visa and entering the United States.  The Global Respect Act would make clear to the world that the U.S. is not open to those who abuse, harass, and murder LGBT people.

“Millions of LGBT people around the world continue to suffer unimaginable violence and discrimination under oppressive laws and regimes,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The Global Respect Act sends a clear message to political leaders of these countries that when they violate the human rights of LGBT people, the U.S. government will hold them accountable. This legislation also sends a message to LGBT people worldwide that the U.S. is an ally willing to defend their fundamental human rights. We are proud to endorse the work of Senator Shaheen and the other champions of this important bill.”

“While we’ve seen tremendous progress towards equality in the United States, the fact remains that the LGBT  community is still under threat both here at home and around the world,” said Senator Shaheen. “No one should live in fear of physical violence or oppression because of their sexual orientation or sexual identity. The Global Respect Act would send a strong message to the international community and a stern warning to those who persecute LGBT individuals that the United States will continue to defend human rights.”

If passed, the Global Respect Act would further empower the U.S. government to use its to aggressively deny or revoke visas of foreign officials who have a significant role in the violation of LGBT people’s rights in their home countries. This would send a signal to world leaders and officials that they cannot  persecute LGBT people, seek to travel to the U.S. and expect to be welcomed here. The bill was first introduced in the House in  June 2014, and reintroduced in May 2015 by Representative David Cicilline (D-RI). It now has 26 cosponsors.

As President Obama proclaimed in 2011, the “struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States commitment to promoting human rights.” The Global Respect Act would be a critical tool in the United States’ arsenal in the fight to protect LGBT lives and rights.

This bill could have a major impact on the ability of the U.S. to fight abuses of LGBT human rights throughout the world. For example, in 2014 President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia for implementing new terrifying anti-LGBT legislation.  When Jammeh’s forces began rounding up and torturing allegedly LGBT people, HRC called on the  U.S. government to restrict entry to the U.S. for President Jammeh and his associates.The Global Respect Act would have the power to prevent Jammeh and his associates from entering the United States.

The situation for LGBT people around the world varies widely. As some countries embrace equality, in others, LGBT people continue to suffer from discrimination, persecution, and violence.

·  19 countries now have marriage equality and in an additional two countries same-sex marriage is legal in certain jurisdictions.

·  But in up to 10 countries worldwide, same-sex activity is punishable by death, and 75 countries criminalize same-sex relationships. Hundreds of transgender individuals have been brutally murdered in the last year.

·  In a growing number of countries, governments have sought to silence equality advocates and organizations with so-called “anti-propaganda” laws and legislation.

Learn more about how the Human Rights Campaign is taking action and working with allies around the world to make a difference at: www.hrc.org/global.

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