Love Is All That Bryan Adams Needs, But He’s Not Finding It In Mississippi
For Mississippi residents excited for Bryan Adams’ concert Thursday, it will not be the best day of their lives.
The post Love Is All That Bryan Adams Needs, But He’s Not Finding It In Mississippi appeared first on ThinkProgress.
thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/04/11/3768182/bryan-adams-cancels-mississippi-concert/
OPM Revises FMLA Regulations Definition of Spouse to Include Same-Sex Couples
Last week, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a final rule revising the definition of spouse in its regulations on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to include same-sex couples.
Under the FMLA, employers are required to give eligible employees up to 12 weeks of consecutive, or in some circumstances intermittent, unpaid sick leave. FMLA was designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons.
In February of 2015, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final regulation on the definition of spouse under Title I of FMLA, which covered non-federal employees and certain federal employees not covered under Title II. DOL’s final regulation did not apply to Title II of FMLA, which covered most federal employees, as OPM administers regulations for Title II of FMLA.
OPM’s revised definition of spouse under Title II of FMLA, replaced unconstitutional language from the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), allowing federal employees with same-sex spouses to use FMLA leave in the same manner as federal employees with opposite-sex spouses. Both DOL’s and OPM’s final rules reflect the Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Windsor, which ruled that Section 3 of DOMA was unconstitutional.
HRC has long supported expanding FMLA to include same-sex couples and applauds OPM’s important rule change.
HRC Alabama Hosts Connect Event in Birmingham
By HRC Alabama Field Organizer Tori Wolfe-Sisson
Last month, HRC volunteers and supporters gathered for Birmingham’s first official HRC Alabama Connect event.
We met and mingled at Rojo, a restaurant in Alabama that has signed HRC’s Equality Is Our Business Pledge and is a great supporter of LGBTQ Alabamians. Over 40 people attended this meeting, talking to new people and HRC staff while eating a delicious meal. Eva Walton, HRC Alabama’s Senior Manager, delivered brief remarks to remind folks that the work that we do is both personal and political.
As members of the LGBTQ community we understand first hand the ways we can be harmed by policies that seek to deny us rights and liberties. We see clearly the impact discrimination has in our schools, workplaces, places of worship and even in our families. As we do this work each and every day, we are trying to make our state and communities more welcoming and accepting.
As we laughed and spent time with each other, we recommitted to the work ahead. We received hugs full of understanding and empowerment, as well as business cards from folks who are ready to set their feet in motion to help make Alabama a more inclusive and welcoming place for all.
To learn more about HRC’s work in Alabama, click here.
www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-alabama-hosts-connect-event-in-birmingham?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
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