HRC Blasts Ted Cruz’s New Transphobic Ad

Today, HRC released the following statement on Ted Cruz’s despicable new campaign ad attacking transgender people.

“Ted Cruz’s transphobic smear campaign peddles a dangerous brand of hate and ignorance,” said HRC Communications Director Jay Brown. “At a time when transgender women are at a disproportionately high risk for violence and assault, Ted Cruz’s reckless ad puts them at even greater risk. Moreover, what message does Ted Cruz think this sends to transgender youth across this country? We deserve a president who’ll fight to protect the rights and dignity of everyone — not a reckless, feckless politician who’ll do or say anything to score a point.”

Today, transgender Americans face an epidemic of bias-motivated violence — particularly transgender women of color. Cruz’s video exacerbates an environment where already four in 10 transgender young people report being bullied by their peers, according to an HRC youth survey..

Ted Cruz has made anti-transgender rhetoric an integral part of his bid for the White House. Just this week, his campaign threw a transgender teenager out of a campaign event. During a prior campaign stop in Iowa, he turned a simple question on education into a bigoted rant against the Obama Administration’s decision to support a transgender student, falsely accusing officials of forcing the school to “let a little boy take showers with junior high girls.” Previously, Cruz made equally offensive comments during an interview with conservative radio host Steven Crowder.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Cruz has decried efforts to lift the ban prohibiting transgender Americans from serving openly in the military, even though the American Medical Association approved a resolution earlier this year that said, there is “no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals from service in the U.S. military.”

Ted Cruz’s ad highlights his support for North Carolina’s HB2, an anti-LGBT law that forces transgender North Carolinians to use restroom facilities in schools and on publicly-owned property inconsistent with their gender identity. HB2 also attacks minorities by blocking individuals from suing under state employment non-discrimination law on the basis of race, religion, national origin, and sex. Moreover, HB2 bars municipalities from enacting their own non-discrimination protections.

H.B. 2 is opposed by more than 180 major businesses, entertainment and sports leaders, and a majority of North Carolinians. In fact, 61 percent say H.B. 2 has hurt the state’s image nationally and 61 percent also say the law has hurt the state’s ability to attract and retain business. A 64 percent majority of North Carolinians support LGBT nondiscrimination protections. Nationally,nearly 8 out of 10 Americans believe LGBT people are entitled to federal nondiscrimination protections.  

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-blasts-ted-cruzs-new-transphobic-ad?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Spending a Week in the Tennessee State Capitol with Local Advocates

Post submitted by Ryan Wilson, HRC Senior Regional Field Organizer

This week I had the distinct honor of working with local LGBT leaders in Tennessee as we collaborated together to stop the anti-transgender bills in Tennessee (HB 2414 & SB 2387). For most of this past session I have been monitoring hearings in Tennessee through the online feeds on the Legislature’s website but this week I was there in person representing HRC on the ground.

On Monday, I joined two transgender youth and our coalition partners from the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC), and the ACLU of Tennessee, to deliver a combined 67,000 petitions to Governor Haslam opposing the anti-Transgender student bill. That same afternoon we learned that Rep. Lynn planned to withdraw her version of the bill which would have denied transgender students access to bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity, at both K-12 and public universities in Tennessee.

Normally we would celebrate a major victory like that but fearing other last minute attempts to legislate discrimination into Tennessee law, we had to remain vigilant. I spent several days in the Tennessee State Capitol with our coalition partners and HRC Board of Governor Jenny Ford watching hearings and monitoring floor debates, listening for any last minute amendments that would be harmful to the LGBT community. Watching the local advocates walking the halls and speaking with legislators gave me a new perspective of the political process in the Volunteer State.

I also appreciated the resilience and determination it takes to fight back against a wave of anti-LGBT bills in a challenging political climate. Southern LGBT advocates have extremely challenging jobs at a time in our movement where resources in the southern states are often scarce and the opposition to equality is laser focused on restricting our rights. By uniting state and national resources together against this onslaught of hateful legislation, local leaders like Chris Sanders of TEP, Dr. Marisa Richmond of TTPC, and Hedy Weinberg of ACLU of TN proved to be a powerful barrier against a number of bills which have died now that legislative session has ended.

The other thing that matters more and more in our fight for equality is the powerful voice of businesses in standing up for LGBT rights. Less than two weeks ago, HRC’s President Chad Giffin traveled to Nashville to deliver a letter from over 60 business leaders and CEOs of companies opposing anti-transgender legislation. We also heard reports in the Capitol that local chambers of commerce from across Tennessee were calling legislators in opposition to the bill. As the House and Senate finance committees met to consider the budget for the state, they were no doubt aware of the backlash that Tennessee’s neighbor to the east is facing in opposition to North Carolina’s HB2.

But I think the most important part of the victory in Tennessee was the thousands of supporters of equality who took action over and over again to contact their elected officials in opposition to anti-LGBT legislation. You and others like you, our HRC members and supporters combined with the voices of supporters of our coalition partners, became a chorus that rang loud and clear in the halls of Legislative Plaza. There can be no doubt in the Tennessee State Capitol that supporters of LGBT equality live in Tennessee and they refuse to be silent in the face of discrimination.

While the legislature has ended their session, we aren’t done yet! HB1840/SB1556 or ‘The Counseling Discrimination bill’ would allow licensed counselors in private practice to use their own religious beliefs as an excuse for terminating care or referring away clients because of moral objections to how the client identifies. The bill has passed both House and Senate and the Governor has until April 25 to take action or it will become law in Tennessee.

HRC has been on high alert this year, tracking nearly 200 anti-LGBT bills across the nation, but particularly the South. Even though some state legislatures have already adjourned, more than 80 anti-LGBT bills are still active and several state legislatures are still in session. If you live in Tennessee, click here to send a message to Governor Bill Haslam asking for him to veto HB1840/SB1556.

www.hrc.org/blog/spending-a-week-in-the-tennessee-state-capitol-with-local-advocates?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Male bisexual representation is slowly changing for the better on TV

www.glaad.org/blog/male-bisexual-representation-slowly-changing-better-tv

75 Major CEOs & Business Leaders Demand Repeal of Mississippi Anti-LGBT Law

Today, HRC announced that 75 leading CEOs and business leaders, including executives from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Capital One, Castlight Health, Inc., KMPG LLP, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Uber and more have signed onto an open letter calling on Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, Lt. Governor Tate Reeves, and House Speaker Philip A. Gunn to repeal H.B. 1523.

H.B. 1523, the so-called “Religious Liberty Accommodations Act,” allows almost any individual or organization to use religion as a justification to discriminate against LGBT Mississippians in some of the most important aspects of their lives, including at work, at school, and in their communities.

“It is unfathomable that in 2016, Mississippi has passed a law explicitly allowing LGBT people to be denied service or discriminated against simply because of who they are and whom they love,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.“That’s why, across Mississippi and the nation, business leaders are speaking out against this discriminatory legislation that harms their employees, harms consumers, and harms their businesses. But there’s still time for Mississippi lawmakers to do the right thing. We urge Governor Bryant and state lawmakers to lead their state to a better future, leaving the politics of discrimination and prejudice firmly in the past. It’s time for them to listen, stand up for all Mississippians, and work quickly to repeal H.B. 1523.”

Last week, Mississippi State Rep. Jay Hughes and members of the Mississippi House of Representatives announced an effort to suspend regular House rules in order to introduce the “Mississippi Economic and Tourism Recovery Act” — a bill that would overturn H.B. 1523. Two-thirds of House members must vote in favor of suspending the rules to allow a vote on the proposed legislation to repeal H.B. 1523.

In addition to the major corporations signing onto this letter calling for repeal, some of the state’s largest employers, including Nissan Group of North America, Tyson Food Inc., MGM Resorts International, and Toyota, have publicly voiced their opposition to the appalling legislation — joining national corporations such as AT&T, IBM, and MassMutual. Gov. Bryant also ignored the call of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) to veto the discriminatory measure. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has joined an effort to get more CEOs to speak publicly against the law, and top executives from Microsoft and IBM have asserted that the law is bad for business.

Additionally, performers like Bryan Adams, and most recently Tracy Morgan, have cancelled shows in the state, while actressSharon Stone has cancelled a film shoot. ABC’s “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts, who is featured as the welcoming face of the Hospitality State’s official tourism guide, also decried the legislation, as did native Mississippian actress Sela Ward. Earlier this month, nearly 100 prominent writers from the state, including John Grisham and Kathryn Stockett, also signed a letter protesting the discriminatory law.

Under this new law, religion could be used by almost any individual or organization to justify discrimination against LGBT people, single mothers, unwed couples, and others. Tax-payer funded faith-based organizations could: refuse to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples for provision of critical services including emergency shelter; deny children in need of loving homes placement with LGBT families including the child’s own family member; and refuse to sell or rent a for-profit home to an LGBT person — even if the organization receives government funding. It would also give foster families the freedom to subject an LGBTQ child to the dangerous practice of “conversion therapy,” and subject a pregnant unwed girl to abuse, without fear of government intervention or license suspension. It would even allow individuals to refuse to carry out the terms of a state contract for the provision of counseling services to all eligible individuals, including veterans, based on the counselor’s beliefs about LGBT people or single mothers.

Furthermore, schools, employers, and service providers could refuse transgender people access to appropriate sex-segregated facilities consistent with their gender identity — all in direct conflict with the U.S. Department of Justice’s enforcement of federal law. HB 1523 even legalizes Kim Davis-style discrimination by allowing government employees to abdicate their duties and refuse to license or solemnize marriages for LGBT people.

On Sunday, May 1, HRC Mississippi will join local advocates in a rally calling on Governor Bryant, Lt. Governor Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip A. Gunn to listen to fair-minded Mississippians, and repeal H.B. 1523. The rally will culminate in a march from the Mississippi State Capitol to the Governor’s mansion.

The full letter and list of signatories is below:

Dear Governor Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Reeves & Speaker Gunn:

We write with concerns about legislation signed this week, HB 1523, which would allow individuals, religious organizations and private associations to use religion to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Mississippians in some of the most important aspects of their lives, including at work, at schools, in their family life and more. Put simply, HB 1523 is not a bill that reflects the values of our companies.

We are disappointed to see the legislature and governor’s office pass discriminatory legislation. 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 1523 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 country. 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 Mississippi or anywhere in our country. As companies that pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming to all, we strongly urge you to repeal this bill.

Sincerely,

Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
Karen Appleton, Senior Vice President, Box
Brandee Barker, Cofounder and Partner, Pramana Collective
Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO, Salesforce
Chip Bergh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Levi Strauss and Co.
Michael Birch, Founder, The Battery
Lisa Bisaccia, EVP and Chief HR Officer, CVS Health
Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa, co-CEOs, Warby Parker
Steven Boal, CEO, Quotient
Craig Bromley, President, John Hancock Financial
Wes Bush, Chairman, CEO and President of Northrop Grumman
Lloyd Carney, CEO, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Founder and CEO, Joyus
Amy Chang, CEO, Accompany
Giovanni Colella, CEO, Castlight Health, Inc.
Alex Constantinople, CEO, The OutCast Agency
Bracken P. Darrell, CEO, Logitech
Chad Dickerson, CEO, Etsy
Alex Dimitrief, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, GE
Lynne Doughtie, Chairman and CEO, KPMG LLP
Sandy Douglas, Executive Vice President and President, Coca-Cola North America, The Coca-Cola Company
Jonathan Eppers, CEO, RadPad
Amy Erret, Founder and CEO, Madison-Reed
Jared Fliesler, General Partner, Matrix Partners
Jennifer Fonstad, Cofounder and Managing Partner, Aspect Ventures
Joe Gebbia, Cofounder and CPO, Airbnb
Jason Goldberg, Founder, Pepo
Peter T. Grauer, Chairman, Bloomberg L.P.
Julia Hartz, Cofounder and President, Eventbrite
David Hassell, CEO, 15Five
Robert Hohman, Founder and CEO, Glassdoor
Lane S. Hopkins, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Capital One Financial Corporation
Drew Houston, CEO, Dropbox
Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder and Chair, Emerson Collective
Steve Joyce, President and Chief Executive Officer, Choice Hotels International, Inc.
Travis Kalanick, CEO, Uber
David Karp, Founder and CEO, Tumblr
Travis Katz, CEO, Gogobot
Brian Krzanich, CEO, Intel
Sarah Leary, Cofounder, Nextdoor
Aileen Lee, Founder and Managing Partner, Cowboy Ventures
Max Levchin, CEO, Affirm, Inc.
Aaron Levie, CEO, Box
Dion Lim, CEO, NextLesson
Andrew N. Liveris, CEO and Chairman of the Board, The Dow Chemical Company
Joe Lonsdale, General Partner, 8VC
Tom Mangas, CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Melody McCloskey, Founder, StyleSeat
Ryan McDonough, CFO, Accompany
Bob Moritz, US Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC
Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, Founder and CEO, Intellectual Ventures
Christopher J. Nassetta, President & Chief Executive Officer, Hilton Worldwide
Lorrie Norrington, Operating Partner, Lead Edge Capital
Bob Page, Chairman and CEO, Replacements, Ltd.
Sunil Paul, Founding Partner, Spring Ventures
Mark Pincus, Founder and Executive Chairman, Zynga
Michelle Peluso, CEO, Gilt
Walter Robb, Co-CEO, Whole Foods Market
Dan Rosensweig, CEO, Chegg Inc.
Kevin Ryan, Founder and Chairman, AlleyCorp
Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Technology Association
Tom Sheahan, CEO, Red Oxygen
Ben Stevenson, Data Engineer, Accompany
Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO, Yelp
Christopher J. Swift, Chairman and CEO, The Hartford
Brian Tippens, Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
David Tisch, Managing Partner, BoxGroup
Nirav Tolia, Cofounder and CEO, Nextdoor
Robb Webb, Chief Human Resources Officer, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Tony West, EVP Government Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, PepsiCo
Anne Wojcicki, CEO, 23andMe
Robert Wolfe, CEO, CrowdRise
Emanuel Seth Yekutiel, CEO, ESY Strategies
John Zimmer, Cofounder and President, Lyft

www.hrc.org/blog/75-major-ceos-business-leaders-demand-repeal-of-mississippi-anti-lgbt-law?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Ted Cruz Capitalizes On Opportunity To Bash Transgender People

Ted Cruz suddenly remembered how transphobic he is.

The post Ted Cruz Capitalizes On Opportunity To Bash Transgender People appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/04/22/3771899/ted-cruz-transphobia/

Jackson Public School Board Unanimously Adopts LGBT-Inclusive Employment Policy

Today HRC Mississippi praised the Jackson Public School Board of Trustees for voting unanimously to extend fully-inclusive sexual orientation and gender identity workplace protections to their employees. With almost 30,000 students, the Jackson Public School district is second largest in the state and one of the first in the Mississippi Public School system to grant employment protections to LGBT staff members.

“Every Mississippian, no matter who they are or whom they love, has the right to earn an honest living and provide for their families without fear of prejudice and discrimination in the workplace,” said HRC Mississippi State Director Rob Hill. “As state lawmakers roll back the rights of LGBT Mississippians, we commend the Jackson Public School board members for doing what they can to safeguard these necessary protections for all their employees.”

Superintendent Dr. Cedrick Gray shared, “I am proud to announce the Board of Trustees for Jackson Public Schools has revised its policies to reflect that the District shall not discriminate against any individual because of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity.”  

The Board of Trustees on Tuesday voted 5-0 to approve the updated policy, which goes into effect immediately.

This week’s vote comes as the Mississippi State Legislature is facing fierce backlash for the passage of HB 1523 — a deeply discriminatory law that allows almost any individual or organization to use religion to justify discrimination against a host of Mississippians, including LGBT people, single mothers, unwed couples and others. Major national and local businesses are calling for repeal, and performers like Bryan Adams, and most recently Tracy Morgan, have cancelled shows in the state, while actress Sharon Stone has cancelled a film shoot. ABC’s “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts, who is featured as the welcoming face of the Hospitality State’s official tourism guide, also decried the legislation, as did native Mississippian actress Sela Ward. Earlier this month, nearly 100 prominent writers from the state, including John Grisham and Kathryn Stockett, also signed a letter protesting the discriminatory law.

On Sunday, May 1, HRC Mississippi will join local advocates in a rally calling on Governor Bryant, Lt. Governor Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip A. Gunn to listen to fair-minded Mississippians, and repeal H.B. 1523. The rally will culminate in a march from the Mississippi State Capitol to the Governor’s mansion.

In 2014, HRC launched Project One America, an initiative geared towards advancing social, institutional and legal equality in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. HRC Mississippi continues to work to advance equality for LGBT Mississippians who have no state level protections in housing, workplace, or public accommodations. Through HRC Mississippi, we are working toward a future of fairness every day—changing hearts, minds and laws toward achieving full equality.

www.hrc.org/blog/jackson-public-school-board-unanimously-adopts-lgbt-inclusive-employment-po?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

It Takes A Village To Bully A Transgender Kindergartner

All Dave and Hannah Edwards wanted was a safe learning environment for their child, but the parents at their school declared war against them.

The post It Takes A Village To Bully A Transgender Kindergartner appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/04/22/3771366/dave-hannah-edwards-transgender-kindergartner/

Give Hate a Holiday in Mississippi

This week, HRC was proud to join PFLAG and Equality Mississippi in Tupelo, Mississippi for “Give Hate a Holiday,” a night of music, fellowship and reflection on the work that lies ahead.

It was an honor to be a featured speaker and to have the opportunity to hear from people regarding their fears and concerns regarding HB 1523, the “Religious Liberty Accommodations Act.”

Under this new law, religion could be used by almost any individual or organization to justify discrimination against LGBT people, single mothers, unwed couples, and others. Tax-payer funded faith-based organizations could: refuse to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples for provision of critical services including emergency shelter; deny children in need of loving homes placement with LGBT families including the child’s own family member; and refuse to sell or rent a for-profit home to an LGBT person — even if the organization receives government funding. It would also give foster families the freedom to subject an LGBTQ child to the dangerous practice of “conversion therapy,” and subject a pregnant unwed girl to abuse, without fear of government intervention or license suspension. It would even allow individuals to refuse to carry out the terms of a state contract for the provision of counseling services to all eligible individuals, including veterans, based on the counselor’s beliefs about LGBT people or single mothers.

Furthermore, schools, employers, and service providers could refuse transgender people access to appropriate sex-segregated facilities consistent with their gender identity — all in direct conflict with the U.S. Department of Justice’s enforcement of federal law. HB 1523 even legalizes Kim Davis-style discrimination by allowing government employees to abdicate their duties and refuse to license or solemnize marriages for LGBT people.

It’s time to give hate a holiday in Mississippi. 

www.hrc.org/blog/give-hate-a-holiday-in-mississippi?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed