HRC Statement on 2017 NBA All-Star Game

Today, HRC released the following statement on the 2017 All-Star game in Charlotte. In a statement today, the NBA reaffirmed its opposition to H.B. 2, noted that NBA owners are unanimous in opposing the bill, and made clear that the league has not ruled out moving the game.

“Today the NBA reiterated its opposition to H.B. 2 and made crystal clear this law threatens the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “We thank the NBA and Commissioner Silver for standing strong in support for the equal dignity of all North Carolinians and for continuing to advocate for the repeal of this hateful and draconian law.”

The momentum against H.B. 2 continues to grow. Today, HRC announced 160 major corporations have signed an open letter urging Gov. McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the radical provisions in the deeply discriminatory law. PayPal and Deutsche Bank, have stopped investments in North Carolina because of H.B. 2 and last week Bruce Springsteen cancelled a concert in Greensboro to stand in solidarity with LGBT people across North Carolina and the nation. Basketball players including Charles Barkley and Jason Collins have called on the NBA to move the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte if the law is not repealed. The NCAA has also said that future NCAA events in the state of North Carolina are in jeopardy as the result of H.B. 2.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-statement-on-2017-nba-all-star-game?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

U.S. Department of State Releases 2015 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State released the 2015 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which once again included extensive information about the human rights of LGBT people worldwide. A compilation of the information from the report regarding sexual orientation and gender identity can be found here, which includes information about new anti-LGBT legislation as well as the ongoing persecution and violence facing LGBT people around the world.

“While there has been progress for LGBT people in some countries, in too many other countries around the world LGBT people still face tremendous discrimination, persecution and violence,” said David Stacy, HRC Government Affairs Director.  “This report is yet another reminder of how much still needs to be done in the global struggle for LGBT equality.”

In his remarks on Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry focused on the need to respect and prioritize human rights worldwide. 

“Respecting human rights isn’t just a moral obligation; it’s an opportunity to harness the full energy of a country’s population in building a cohesive and prosperous society. And it doesn’t jeopardize stability; it enhances it,” he said. “In country after country where human rights are respected, people are happier, people are freer to pursue their own designs, happier and freer to be artistic and creative, to be entrepreneurial, to make a difference in the building of the community.”

As in previous years, each country report includes a section on LGBT rights. Some examples include:

• In Egypt, LGBT people continued to face discrimination and arrest on charges like “debauchery,” “prostitution” and “violating the teachings of religion.” LGBT people are often harassed by police and forced to pay bribes or provide information about other LGBT people in order to avoid arrest. In 2014, 26 men were arrested for “practicing debauchery” and “indecent public acts” and although they were acquitted in 2015, 21 of them were reportedly subjected to forced anal examinations by the authorities following their arrests. Moreover, authorities used social media and apps to target and arrest people suspected of being LGBT.
• LGBT people continued to feel the effects of Russia’s anti-LGBT propaganda law. LGBT people, especially gay men, were often subject to violence and there were reports of killings motivated by sexual orientation bias this past year. The police often failed or refused to respond to anti-LGBT violence and harassment and there were reports that authorities were specifically targeting LGBT NGOs and activists. Furthermore, homophobic campaigns by the state-controlled media continued and Moscow authorities prevented a gay pride parade from being held for the 10^th consecutive year.
• In Uganda, sex between people of the same-sex is criminalized and in January 2015, nine men who helped organize an HIV & AIDS testing clinic were arrested for “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” and subjected to forced anal exams. In July, a group of local LGBT rights NGOs released a report highlighting 89 LGBT human rights violations in 2014, over half of them committed by state actors.
• In Indonesia, where conditions have dramatically worsened for LGBT people this year, local regulations criminalize same-sex sexual activity, and a local ordinance in Jakarta automatically identifies all transgender people on the streets at night as sex workers. In Aceh, the local government passed a new criminal code in 2015 that punished same-sex acts with 100 strokes of the cane.

The findings of this report, which includes more information on LGBT rights than even just a few years ago, once again underscore the need for continued focus on the plight of LGBT people around the globe and serve as useful tool for combating violence and discrimination against people everywhere in the world, regardless of who they are or whom they love.

Through HRC Global, HRC will continue to advocate for LGBT equality around the world through public education, advocacy, fellowships, partnerships, and research.

www.hrc.org/blog/u.s.-department-of-state-releases-2015-country-reports-on-human-rights-prac?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: April 15, 2016

HRC FILES RECORDS REQUEST TO EXPOSE HB 2 DOCUMENTS: Yesterday, HRC and Equality North Carolina filed an open records request seeking documents from the offices of Gov. Pat McCrory, Senate leader Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore about HB 2. The Governor, who signed the bill in the dead of night the very day it was introduced, and the sponsors of the bill continue to defend the discriminatory bill and deny that it was motivated by anti-LGBT animus. For that reason, HRC is invoking the North Carolina Public Records Law to gain access to any communications the Governor, the Executive Branch or the General Assembly had among each other, or with the kind of extreme anti-LGBT special interest groups — like the North Carolina Values Coalition or the Alliance Defending Freedom, who often craft and push these proposals. Last night, he joined Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, Charlotte City Councilmember Al Austin, Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro, and other local LGBT community members for a town hall in Charlotte, where they discussed the latest in the fight to repeal the law. Momentum isn’t slowing down and advocates for equality continue to rally against HB 2.

HRC FACT-CHECKS MCCRORY’S PUBLIC STATEMENTS: In HRC’s newest video, we play a game of “True or False” with Governor McCrory. He doesn’t seem to have his facts together when talking about HB 2 but luckily, HRC is here to correct the record!

OVER 160 COMPANIES ARE NOW ON LETTER OPPOSING HB 2: Additional companies are urging Gov. Pat McCrory to repeal HB 2, despite his recent do-nothing executive order. Today, HRC and Equality NC announced that executives from the American Express Company, AXA Financial Inc., Bloomberg L.P., Capital One, Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, Campbell Soup Company, CohnReznick LLP, CrowdRise, eMaint Enterprises, LLC, Ernst & Young LLP, the Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., John Hancock Financial, Kohler Co., Logitech, Plum Organics, RBC Capital Markets, REI, Strava Inc., The Hartford, Time Warner Cable, United Airlines, Visa Inc. and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. have signed onto an open letter that now includes more than 160 leading CEOs and business leaders urging Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the radical provisions in the deeply discriminatory law that was rammed through the legislature on March 23rd. More on HRC’s blog.

RECAPPING HB2 — WHY THIS BILL IS REALLY, REALLY TERRIBLE: North Carolina Gov. McCrory tried to distract from his appalling HB2 legislation this week with a contradictory EO. Here’s the low down on what is (still) wrong with HB 2:

• Transgender people are still prohibited from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity in public buildings — such as all of the University of North Carolina campuses and airports.
• Cities are still prohibited from adopting ordinances to prohibit discrimination against their residents and visitors. This means all ordinances and all kinds of discrimination, not just LGBT discrimination, and it leaves other minority groups and veterans vulnerable.
• While the governor’s executive order extended employment protections to state workers, employees still won’t be allowed to use the restroom consistent with their gender identity.
• Individuals are still prevented from bringing discrimination lawsuits (on any basis, including race and religion) in state courts.
• Gov. McCrory’s executive order doesn’t affect private businesses, non-profits and local governments, which have always been able to establish their own non-discrimination policies for their employees.

TENN. GOVERNOR WILL CONSIDER BUSINESS VIEWS BEFORE SIGNING OFF ON ANTI-LGBT BILLS: In light of the economic backlash in North Carolina and companies who have contacted his office, Gov. Bill Haslam says he will consider how the anti-transgender bill would negatively impact Tennessee’s economy and business climate. On Wednesday, HRC joined with the Tennessee Equality Project, ACLU of Tennessee, Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition and local advocates to hand deliver a letter to Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell and Senate President Ron Ramsey. Signed by top executives, the open letter — which has 60 signatories from major companies including Dow Chemical Company, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Alcoa Inc. — calls on Tennessee lawmakers to abandon their legislative assault on transgender students. Gov. Haslam believes that schools have been adapting to students’ needs appropriately, and hasn’t heard any complaints from parents on bathroom policies. Coupled with the calls from corporations, Gov. Haslam says he has a good deal to consider if the bill lands on his desk. More from Knoxville News Sentinel.

“NASHVILLE” TV SHOW MAY PULL OUT OF TENNESSEE IF ANTI-LGBT LEGISLATION PASSES: Stars of ABC’s “Nashville” are speaking out against the anti-LGBT bills being proposed in Tennessee. Actress Connie Britton said she would not “feel comfortable” continuing to film the show in Tennessee should the legislation pass. Though the series spends roughly $20 million on local labor each season and Britton does not want to put people out of jobs, she acknowledges that sometimes the only way you can get legislators to listen is to hit them in the pocket book. Chris Carmack, another actor from the television series, also says he is “devastated” by the legislation. He and his fiancée had been considering purchasing a home in Nashville, but are having to reconsider since the legislation has come up. He says of the move: “…I guarantee you that there are many more individuals like myself and my fiancée who are potential long-term transplants from all over, who are saying, ‘Is this a place I would want to call home? A place that would write this sort of thing into legislation?’”So it looks like Nashville could not only lose out to its television show counterpart, but also a host of new residents entirely. More from The Hollywood Reporter.

MISS. GOV SAYS PEOPLE ARE “OVERREACTING” TO HB 1523: Earlier this week, the New York Mississippi Society announced that it was cancelling the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park due to the passage of HB 1523 saying, “Any law such as HB 1523 that discriminates against even a single member of our community cannot be tolerated.” For almost 40 years, the festival — which was started by a group of native Mississippians currently living in New York City — has been a huge draw for the Hospitality State. Not surprisingly, Governor Bryant isn’t too pleased. He claimed that people were “overreacting” to the law and hoped that the event’s organizers would be opened to reviving the event in the future. Interestingly, he mentioned the “rich and diverse culture of the state” — nevermind the fact that HB 1523 sends the distinct message that certain people aren’t welcome. More from The Associated Press, and check out this interview where Gov. Bryant defends to bill to Tim Weldon of the notoriously anti-LGBT American Family Association. Apparently it’s about “balancing the scales of justice.”

GULF COAST BUSINESS COUNCIL CALLS FOR REPEAL OF HB 1523: This week, the Gulf Coast Business Council released a resolution calling for the repeal of HB 1523, which they said is “damaging Mississippi’s ability to compete in the global marketplace.” The Business Council has a right to be worried — some of the state’s top employers, including Nissan and Toyota, have panned the bill. HRC’s open letter calling for bill’s repeal has been signed by more than 60 major business leaders and CEOs from companies like Coca-Cola, Northrop Grumman, Intel and Replacements, Ltd and more. Read the council’s full resolution.

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO REACT TO MS AND NC’S DISCRIMINATORY LAWS: Big names in the entertainment industry are continuing to distance themselves from the Hospitality State and the Tar Heel State since their discriminatory laws passed. Adding to a growing list, actress Sharon Stone and former Beatle Ringo Starr have both canceled engagements. Stone was set to shoot a film in Mississippi, and Starr had a scheduled performance in North Carolina. Both have spoken out against these anti-LGBT bills, saying that they will not work in these states so long as they choose to discriminate against the LGBT community. In his statement, Starr said that “we need to take a stand against this hatred,” and ended his call to action with a simple but poignant reminder from The Beatles: “All you need is love.” The band Mumford and Sons has chosen to react in a different way, however, and has announced that all of the proceeds from their show in Charlotte this week will go to a fund the band is creating to “support those who have made it their mission to pursue love and justice.” Cyndi Lauper who’s been an outspoken ally for the LGBT community is also moving forward with her concert, but all proceeds will go towards building “public support to repeal HB2.” ThinkProgress gives a great wrap-up of what performers are doing in protest of the North Carolina’s HB 2.

ACTRESSES DEBRA MESSING AND SELA WARD ALSO TAKE ON HB 2 AND HB 1523: Actress Debra Messing is not happy with having to work in North Carolina after the passage of HB 2. Messing is best known for her role as Grace on the pivotal sitcom “Will and Grace,” which has been heralded as opening doors for LGBT characters within the television industry. But unfortunately, Messing is scheduled to film a remake of “Dirty Dancing” in Asheville, North Carolina, and stated that she wishes that the green-light for the film “could have been stopped, but it was already in production and sadly it was determined to be too late.” Actress Sela Ward, a Meridian native, spoke out against Mississippi’s discriminatory legislation while promoting her new movie Independence Day this week. Ward told The Clarion Ledger that “passing the new law sets us back.”

BILL LICENSING STATE-SANCTIONED DISCRIMINATION BY CHILD PLACING AGENCIES ADVANCES IN ALABAMA: Earlier this week, the Alabama House Health Committee voted to advance a discriminatory bill that would allow state-sanctioned discrimination against LGBT youth and families. If passed, HB 158 would authorize state-licensed and funded adoption and foster care placing agencies to discriminate against qualified LGBT prospective adoptive or foster parents, without the government being able to respond as it otherwise could to such discriminatory behavior. An agency could turn away a single parent seeking to foster a child in need and the single parent would have no legal recourse. Or, an agency could refuse to place foster children with members of their extended families — a practice often considered to be in the best interest of the child — based solely on the agency’s religious beliefs. Research consistently shows that LGBT youth are overrepresented in the foster care system, as many have already been rejected by their families of origin because of their LGBT status, and are especially vulnerable to discrimination and mistreatment while in foster care. By allowing for religion-based discrimination, HB 158 would only exacerbate the challenges faced by these children, adding another layer of trauma to their already difficult lives. Chief executives of major child advocacy groups have already come out strongly against SB 204 — HB 158 Senate’s companion legislation which has already advanced out of committee — in a letter that was hand delivered to members of the Senate Committee ahead of the vote. More from The Associated Press.

LOUISIANA GOVERNOR SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER GRANTING PROTECTIONS FOR SOME LGBT LOUISIANANS: Yesterday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards made good on his promise to issue an executive order protecting LGBT state employees, and we hope his fellow Southern governors are taking notice. Since taking office Edwards has been a breath of fresh air from Governor Bobby Jindal, who, while in office, allowed a similar order to expire, saying he didn’t think it “necessary to create additional special categories or special rights.” *Rolls Eyes.* Edwards’ newly signed order, however, unfortunately still allows for religiously-based state contractors to discriminate against LGBT employees while accepting taxpayer funds. HRC welcomes the news but calls on the state’s elected officials to pass a law protecting all LGBT Louisianans from discrimination in the all workplaces and beyond. Read the full executive order and learn more from The Times Picayune.

MAJOR CORPORATIONS URGE MISSOURI LAWMAKERS TO OPPOSE SJR 39: This week, more than 50 executives from major corporations, including Salesforce, Marriott International, Bloomberg L.P., Unilever, Intel, Yelp, The Hartford and many others, signed onto an open letter addressed to Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson. In the letter, the CEOs and business leaders urge state lawmakers to oppose Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 39. Similar to the anti-LGBT HB 1523 recently passed in Mississippi, SJR 39 would open up broad exemptions allowing people and businesses to discriminate against LGBT people without legal recourse. The discriminatory proposal has also received widespread condemnation from fair-minded Missourians and businesses. This week, Marc Shreiber, spokesperson for the Sports Commission, warned that Missouri stands to lose $50 to $60 million in direct spending from sporting events alone should this measure pass, and could all but forfeit their chances of securing the NCAA championships in the coming years. This would also affect the SEC and Big 12. Governor Jay Nixon, the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the St. Louis Regional Chamber, Dow Chemical Company and Monsanto have all condemned the measure along with The St. Louis Regional Chamber. Despite a historic filibuster by Senate Democrats attempting to stop the anti-equality majority from moving the resolution forward, the Senate passed the measure in early March, and it is now under consideration in the House of Representatives.

SOUTH CAROLINIANS HAVE NO APPETITE FOR HATEFUL ANTI-TRANS BILL: Despite tremendous backlash in other states for passing — or even considering — legislation that targets transgender students ability to access restrooms consistent with their gender identity, the South Carolina Senate is currently debating a bill that would do just that. At a public hearing yesterday, most participants railed against State Sen. Bright’s bill, that has already been dismissed by several of his colleagues including House Majority Leader Bruce Bannister. Earlier this week, Bannister told reporters, “It is unlikely, with all the issues that we have before us that we are going to be addressing Sen. Bright’s bill regarding public toilets.” Gov. Nikki has already called the legislation unnecessary and the Greenville Chamber of Commerce has come out strongly against it. Seems like South Carolina is paying attention… More from The State.

COLORADO SENATE COMMITTEE SHAMEFULLY VOTES DOWN BILL BANNING “CONVERSION THERAPY”: Earlier this week Republicans in the Colorado Senate Committee on State, Veterans, and Military Affairs failed their constituents by voting down a bill that would have protected LGBTQ youth from the harmful and discredited practice of “conversion therapy.”. Dave Montez, Executive Director of One Colorado decried the vote saying, “The conversion therapy ban did not receive a fair hearing today, just like it did not last year – and just like every bill that would improve the lives of LGBT Coloradans has not since 2014. It is unfortunate that Republican leadership in the State Senate is more concerned with placating the far-right fringe of their party than doing the right thing by LGBT Coloradans and their families.” Currently California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon and the District of Columbia have all passed laws protecting LGBTQ youth from this so-called therapy, and more than 20 states have introduced similar legislation this year. Following an executive action from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, New York is also adopting regulations to protect youth from this abusive treatment. HRC, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center have filed a federal consumer fraud complaint against a major provider of “conversion therapy,” urging the Federal Trade Commission to take enforcement action against the organization and all practitioners engaging in similar fraudulent advertising and business practices.

GEORGIA GOV. FEELS THAT HE DID THE RIGHT THING BY VETOING GA’S BILL, WE AGREE: Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is affirming to his critics that he made the right call when he vetoed his state’s own anti-LGBT bill last month. Deal says that the uproar he has seen in North Carolina and Mississippi are stark reminders of what could have happened to Georgia had he passed HB 757. He’s concerned that Georgia conservatives will again try to renew the measure during next year’s legislative session, but has made clear that he will veto it again should it come to his desk. In his first interview since striking down the bill, Deal said: “I don’t want to go through the same process all over again. I’ve made my position very clear. I tried to write a very thoughtful veto message. It expressed my concerns and it expressed my reasons for vetoing it. And those reasons won’t change in my mind.” He hopes that the backlash throughout other Southern states will be enough to dissuade his critics from attempting the process again. More from The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

ARKANSAS STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS: While some state legislatures have already adjourned, Arkansas’ is just beginning. Last year, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed legislation that mirrored the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. While this legislation replaced the horrific H.B. 1228, it fell short of providing needed non-discrimination protections to all Arkansans. Lawmakers in Arkansas last year also eliminated the power of municipal governments to protect their LGBT residents and visitors from discrimination. This year, the Arkansas legislative session is restricted to fiscal matters and all eyes are on the fate of the medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, which stands to impact over 200,000 Arkansans. While it is highly unlikely that religious refusal legislation will be introduced in Arkansas this year, other types of legislation, varying from targeting the rights of transgender people, to eliminating local non-discrimination protections, to explicitly authorizing anti-LGBT discrimination by individuals, businesses and even taxpayer-funded agencies, have been introduced in the neighboring states.

DOJ OPENS INVESTIGATION IN GEORGIA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS TREATMENT OF LGBT INMATES: Yesterday, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia announced that they have opened a joint investigation into the Georgia Department of Corrections’ (GDC) treatment of transgender and gay prisoners. The announcement comes after several accusations of abuse against transgender and gay inmates of the GDC. One of the most high profile has been the case of Ashley Diamond, a transgender woman of color, who sued GDC in federal court alleging that the prison failed to stop other inmates from sexually assaulting her, and that she had been denied medical treatment for gender dysphoria. Diamond has entered into a settlement with GDC. HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow responded to the news saying, “We are pleased to see that the troubling scourge of violence and abuse suffered by transgender and gay inmates in Georgia is finally getting a full investigation by the DOJ. We have long known that transgender people in particular experience unacceptably high rates of abuse and mistreatment while in confinement facilities.

CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT LGBT DISCRIMINATION LAUNCHES IN TEXAS: Equality Texas, the Austin Police Department (ADP), the Texas Council on Family Violence and other organizations have teamed up for a new campaign focused on bringing attention to hate-motivated crimes targeting the LGBT community. At the launch event yesterday, Chuck Smith of Equality Texas said, “The vitriol, sexism, racism, anti-gay and anti-Muslim rhetoric in Texas and in America is fueling an atmosphere of hate in Texas and across the country that is causing innocent Texans to be beaten and almost killed. This rhetoric is unacceptable and has real consequences for real Texans who are victims of hate crimes.” The ADP hopes to develop and implement a series of new policies including training on domestic violence and search procedures for transgender citizens. Twenty LGBT people in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas have already been attacked this year. Mores from KXAN.

AROUND THE WORLD

REPORT: UK MUST DO MORE TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT LGBT EQUALITY GLOBALLY: A new report from the the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT Rights (APPG LGBT) has found that the government of the United Kingdom has a lot of work to do when it comes to supporting LGBT equality world wide. They group, which has the support of more than 100 MPs and Peers, is calling for a more “coherent, co-ordinated cross-Whitehall strategy for promoting equality for LGBT people around the world.” More from Pink Star News and read the full report.

GROUP SEEKING TO DECRIMINALIZE SAME-SEX RELATIONS IN KENYA: A group in Kenya is challenging the constitutionality of parts of the Kenyan penal code that criminalize same-sex relations between consenting adults. Their case is set to be heard by the constitutional and Human Rights Division of the Kenyan High Court according to The Associated Press.

READING RAINBOW

Time and The Huffington Post explore the ways Corporate America has been an ally of the LGBT movement… The Associated Press reports that Salt Lake City City Council will vote to name a street after Harvey Milk… Vocativ travels the country pointing out city governments banning travel over anti-LGBT laws… The Advocate lists all the economic losses of North Carolina’s HB 2… The Associated Press briefs on the anti-LGBT laws proposed across the country… Talking Points Memo laughs at NC Gov. McCrory’s executive order addressing HB 2… Vox shares a video explaining how bathrooms became a battleground for trans rights… Mother Jones shares the personal story of a transgender man living in North Carolina… The Times Picayune lists a growing group of big businesses that support Louisiana’s pro-LGBT executive order… The Advocate discusses how the slew of anti-LGBT bills are also part of the war on women… The Kansas City Star shares what’s happening in Kansas where anti-equality legislators are trying to pass an appalling bill that would essentially put a bounty on transgender students… The Hartford Courant highlights the state of Connecticut’s efforts to welcome businesses that value LGBT equality… The Boston Herald gives us the latest in the fight for transgender equality in Massachusetts.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality, and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-april-15-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

The GLAAD Wrap: New music from Tegan and Sara, Gus Van Sant honored and more!

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrap-new-music-tegan-and-sara-gus-van-sant-honored-and-more

More Companies Call for Repeal of HB2, Despite NC Gov McCrory’s Executive Order on Anti-LGBT Law

Today, HRC and Equality NC announced that executives from the American Express Company, AXA Financial Inc., Bloomberg L.P. ,Capital One, Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, Campbell Soup Company, CohnReznick LLP, CrowdRise, eMaint Enterprises, LLC, Ernst & Young LLP, the Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., John Hancock Financial, Kohler Co., Logitech, Plum Organics, RBC Capital Markets, REI, Strava Inc., The Hartford, Time Warner Cable, United Airlines, Visa Inc. and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. have signed onto an open letter that now includes more than 160 leading CEOs and business leaders urging Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the radical provisions in the deeply discriminatory law that was rammed through the legislature on March 23rd. These companies are continuing their support after Governor McCrory announced an executive order that does nothing to fix the discriminatory provisions signed into law through HB 2.

Yesterday, HRC released a new video fact-checking Gov Mccrory’s dangerous rhetoric on HB 2.

While the governor’s executive order extends protections to state workers, it does nothing to fix the vile and discriminatory provisions he signed into law through HB 2. Under HB 2, transgender people are prohibited from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity in public buildings, including the University of North Carolina campus and the Raleigh-Durham Airport. Cities still cannot adopt ordinances to prohibit discrimination against their residents and visitors. And HB 2 still prevents individuals from bringing discrimination suit in state courts.

HRC is invoking the North Carolina Public Records Law to gain access to any communications the Governor, the Executive Branch, or the General Assembly had among each other or with the kind of extreme anti-LGBT special interest groups who often craft and push this language. Specifically, the organizations are demanding that the government release any communications legislators or the Governor or his staff have had with the North Carolina Values Coalition or the Alliance Defending Freedom from the office of Gov. Pat McCrory, Senate leader Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore about HB 2. View the letters to the office of Gov. McCrory, Senator Berger and Speaker Moore here.

The copy of the updated letter, which was first made public on Tuesday, March 29th, can be found here and below.

“Governor McCrory’s executive order does nothing more than highlight the actual problems caused by HB 2,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “These businesses understand that discrimination is bad for North Carolina, and will continue to speak out until Governor McCrory and the General Assembly repeal this heinous attack on basic human dignity.”

“North Carolina’s place as a business leader in the South is based on fairness, inclusion, and diversity,” said Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro with the original launch of the open letter. “HB 2 does not represent North Carolina values, and it weakens our competitive edge. We are glad to see our business community in the Old North State standing up against discriminatory measures like this. Governor McCrory made a mess of our state last [month], and our businesses are leading the charge to repair our state to a place of fairness.”

Gov. Pat McCrory and state lawmakers are under increasingly intense pressure to repeal the discriminatory law in the upcoming legislative session. Mayors and governors across the country are banning travel to the state, and the New York Times editorial board called North Carolina a “pioneer in bigotry.” Major film studios and corporations, including PayPal and Deutsche Bank, have stopped investments in the state because of the new law. Last week, Bruce Springsteen cancelled a concert in Greensboro to stand in solidarity with LGBT people across North Carolina and the nation.

HB 2 has eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future. The legislation also forces transgender students in public schools to use restrooms and other facilities inconsistent with their gender identity, putting 4.5 billion dollars in federal funding under Title IX at risk. It also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in state buildings, including in public universities. Lawmakers passed the legislation in a hurried, single-day session last month, and Governor McCrory quickly signed it into law in the dead of night.

North Carolina has the unfortunate distinction of becoming the first state in the country to enact a law attacking transgender students, even after similar proposals were rejected across the country this year — including a high-profile veto by the Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota. North Carolina school districts that comply with the law will now be in direct violation of Title IX, subjecting the school districts to massive liability and putting an estimated $4.5 billion of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education, as well as funding received by schools from other federal agencies, at risk. This section of HB 2 offers costly supposed solutions to non-existent problems, and it forces schools to choose between complying with federal law — plus doing the right thing for their students — or complying with a state law that violates students’ civil rights. Read more about how this bill puts federal funding at risk here.

The full letter to Governor McCrory and list of signatories is below:

Dear Governor McCrory,

We write with concerns about legislation you signed into law last week, HB 2, which has overturned protections for LGBT people and sanctioned discrimination across North Carolina. Put simply, HB 2 is not a bill that reflects the values of our companies, of our country, or even the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians.

We are disappointed in your decision to sign this discriminatory legislation into law. The business community, by and large, has consistently communicated to lawmakers at every level that such laws are bad for our employees and bad for business. This is not a direction in which states move when they are seeking to provide successful, thriving hubs for business and economic development. We believe that HB 2 will make it far more challenging for businesses across the state to recruit and retain the nation’s best and brightest workers and attract the most talented students from across the nation. It will also diminish the state’s draw as a destination for tourism, new businesses, and economic activity.

Discrimination is wrong and we believe it has no place in North Carolina or anywhere in our country. As companies that pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming to all, we strongly urge you and the leadership of North Carolina’s legislature to repeal this law in the upcoming legislative session.

Sincerely,

Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
Karen Appleton, Senior Vice President, Box
James Avery, CEO, Adzerk
Brandee Barker, Cofounder, The Pramana Collective
Marc Benioff, CEO, Salesforce
Chip Bergh, President and CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
Michael Birch, Founder, Blab
Ed Black, President and CEO, Computer & Communications Industry Association
Lloyd C. Blankfein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Goldman Sachs Group
Nathan Blecharczyk, Cofounder and CTO, Airbnb
Steven R. Boal, CEO, Quotient Technology Inc.
Alex Boden, General Manager, Plum Organics
Ron Boire, CEO, Barnes and Noble
Lorna Borenstein, CEO, Grokker
Brad Brinegar, Chairman and CEO, McKinney
Michael Bronner, President, Dr. Bronner’s
Craig Bromley, President, John Hancock Financial
John Bryant, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kellogg Company
Wes Bush, Chairman, CEO and President of Northrop Grumman
Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, co-CEOs, Atlassian
Lloyd Carney, CEO, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Marc Casper, President and CEO, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
Safra Catz, CEO, Oracle
Brian Chesky, CEO, Airbnb
Emanuel Chirico, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PVH Corp.
Ron Conway, Founder and Co-Managing Partner, SV Angel
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Roger W. Crandall, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance
Paul T. Dacier, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, EMC Corporation
Bracken P. Darrell, CEO, Logitech
Dean Debnam, Chairman and CEO, Workplace Options
Mike DeFrino, Chief Executive Officer, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
Bill Demchak, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Alex Dimitrief, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, GE
Jack Dorsey, CEO, Square and Twitter
Sandy Douglas, Executive Vice President & President, Coca-Cola North America, The Coca-Cola Company
David Ebersman, Cofounder and CEO, Lyra Health
Randy Fiser, CEO, American Society of Interior Designers
Blair Fleming, Head, RBC Capital Markets, U.S.
Jared Fliesler, General Partner, Matrix Partners
Vince Forlenza, Chairman, CEO and President, BD
Mark Gainey, CEO, Strava Inc.
Joe Gebbia, Cofounder and Chief Product Officer, Airbnb
Jason Goldberg, CEO, Pepo
Kristen Koh Goldstein, CEO, BackOps
Mitchell Gold, co-founder and chair-man, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
John H. Graham IV, President and CEO, American Society of Association Executives
Peter T. Grauer, Chairman, Bloomberg L.P.
Logan Green, CEO, Lyft
Mike Gregoire, CEO, CA Technologies
Paul Graham, Founder, Y Combinator
David Hassell, CEO, 15Five
Charles H. Hill III, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Human Resources, Pfizer Inc.
Reid Hoffman, Chairman, LinkedIn
Robert Hohman, Cofounder & CEO, Glassdoor
Lane S. Hopkins, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Capital One Financial Corporation
Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Drew Houston, CEO, Dropbox
Stephen R. Howe, Jr., U.S. Chairman and Managing Partner, Americas Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
William H. Howle, President of U.S. Retail Banking Group, Citibank
Steve Huffman, CEO, Reddit
Chad Hurley, Cofounder, YouTube
Dave Imre, Partner and CEO, IMRE
Dev Ittycheria, President & CEO, MongoDB
Richard Jenrette, Founder, Classical American Homes Preservation Trust
Laurene Powell Jobs, President, Emerson Collective
Michael O. Johnson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Herbalife
Cecily Joseph, VP Corporate Responsibility and Chief Diversity Officer, Symantec Corporation
Steve Joyce, CEO, Choice Hotels International
Travis Kalanick, CEO, Uber
David Karp, Founder and CEO, Tumblr
Travis Katz, Founder and CEO, Gogobot
Alan King, President and COO, Workplace Options
Dave King, CEO, LabCorp.
David Kohler, President & CEO, Kohler Co.
Brian Krzanich, CEO, Intel     
Joshua Kushner, Managing Partner, Thrive Capital
Michael W. Lamach, Chairman and CEO, Ingersoll-Rand plc
William P. Lauder, Executive Chairman, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Jeff Lawson, Founder, CEO and Chairman, Twilio
Max Levchin, CEO, Affirm
Dion Lim, CEO, NextLesson
Frank Longobardi, CEO, CohnReznick LLP
Shan-lyn Ma, CEO, Zola
Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer, The Americas, InterContinental Hotels Group
Vishal Makhijani, COO, Udacity
Tom Mangas, CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Rob Marcus, Chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable
Bill Maris, CEO, Google Ventures
Marissa Mayer, President and CEO, Yahoo
Melody McCloskey, CEO, StyleSeat
Douglas Merrill, CEO, Zestfinance
Dyke Messinger, President and CEO, Power Curbers Inc.
Chris Meyrick, Chief Diversity Officer, American Express Company
Steve Mollenkopf, CEO, Qualcomm Inc.
Bob Moritz, US Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC
Denise Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer, Campbell Soup Company
Brian Moynihan, CEO, Bank of America
Oscar Munoz, President and CEO, United Airlines
Hari Nair, Vice President and General Manager, Orbitz.com & CheapTickets.com
Christopher J. Nassetta, President & Chief Executive Officer, Hilton Worldwide
Michael Natenshon, CEO, Marine Layer
Alexi G. Nazem, Cofounder and CEO, Nomad Health
Alexis Ohanian, Cofounder, Reddit
Laurie J. Olson, EVP, Strategy, Portfolio and Commercial Operations, Pfizer Inc.
Bob Page, Founder and CEO, Replacements, Ltd.
Doug Parker, Chairman and CEO, American Airlines
Mark Pearson, CEO, AXA Financial Inc.
Mike Pedersen, CEO and President, TD Bank, N.A.
Michelle Peluso, Strategic Advisor and former CEO, Gilt
Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google
Mark Pincus, Founder and Executive Chairman, Zynga
Hosain Rahman, CEO, Jawbone
Bill Ready, CEO, Braintree
Evan Reece, CEO, Liftopia
Stan Reiss, General Partner, Matrix Partners
John Replogle, CEO, Seventh Generation
Walter Robb, co-CEO, Whole Foods Market
Chuck Robbins, CEO, Cisco Systems
Virginia M. Rometty, Chairman, President and CEO, IBM Corporation
Dan Rosensweig, CEO, Chegg
Kevin P. Ryan, Founder and Chairman, Alleycorp
Bijan Sabet, General Partner, Spark Capital
Brian Samelson, CEO & President, eMaint Enterprises, LLC
Julie Samuels, President, Engine
George A. Scangos, PhD, CEO, Biogen
Charles W. Scharf, Chief Executive Officer, Visa Inc.
Paula Schneider, CEO, American Apparel
Steve Schoch, CEO, Miramax
Dan Schulman, President and CEO, PayPal
Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO, Starbucks
Adam Shankman, Director and Producer
Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Technology Association
David A. Shaywitz, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, DNAnexus
Behshad Sheldon, President and CEO, Braeburn Pharmaceuticals
Ben Silbermann, CEO, Pinterest
Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft
Arne Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott International
David Spector, Cofounder, ThirdLove
Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO, Yelp
Jerry Stritzke, President and CEO, REI
John G. Stumpf, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Wells Fargo & Company
Julie Sweet, Group Chief Executive North America, Accenture
Christopher J. Swift, Chairman and CEO, The Hartford
Bret Taylor, CEO, Quip
Todd Thibodeaux, CEO, CompTIA
Brian Tippens, Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
David Tisch, Managing Partner, BoxGroup
Nirav Tolia, Cofounder and CEO, Nextdoor
Kevin A. Trapani, President and CEO, The Redwood Groups
Mark Trudeau, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Paul Van Deventer, President & CEO, Meeting Professionals International
Ken Wasch, President, Software & Information Industry Association
Casey Wasserman, Chairman and CEO of Wasserman & President and CEO of the Wasserman Foundation
Bob & Harvey Weinstein, Co-Founders and Co-Chairmen, The Weinstein Company
Devin Wenig, CEO, eBay
Tim Westergren, Founder and CEO, Pandora Media, Inc.
Robert Wolfe, CEO, CrowdRise
Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Facebook

www.hrc.org/blog/more-companies-call-for-repeal-of-hb2-despite-nc-gov-mccrorys-executive-ord?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

TAKE ACTION: The music industry must take a stand against discrimination

www.glaad.org/blog/take-action-music-industry-must-take-stand-against-discrimination