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