Photo Credit: Olivia Peregrino

Two documentarians are currently raising funds for post-production on their films, one in Mexico and one in the United States, both profiling strong activists that have taken stands for equality in their respective countries.

Querida Nancy

Olivia Peregrino is a photojournalist whose series Familias Lesbícas (Lesbian Families) won several awards. She has tnow turned to film with a debut project on pioneering lesbian activist Nancy Cardenas. Cardenas was the first lesbian woman in the country to come out publicly on national television in 1973. A journalist and playwright, she achieved many firsts including founding Mexico’s Gay Liberation Front, the country’s first gay organization in 1974.

Cardenas died in 1994 of breast cancer. Peregrino interviewed Cardenas’ many peers in an effort to rescue her memory. The title of the documentary is “Dear Nancy” in English and you can learn more about the production’s campaign here.

Raising Zoey

Peruvian born filmmaker Dante Alencastre is known for Transvisible: The Bamby Salcedo Story, a profile of trans Latina activists Bamby Salcedo. His current project Raising Zoey follows trans Latina teen Luna and her mother Ofelia as they navigate Luna “growing up trans in a working class Latino family and neighborhood.” Somos Familia, Aids Healthcare Foundation, The City of West Hollywood’s Department of Cultural Affairs and other organizations have signed on to help the film reach audiences after it launches in the summer.

Zoey is a charismatic teen who continuously raises her voice against bullying, family rejection and discrimination towards trans people locally, in national media and on MTV’s The T Word. The documentary allows viewers to get to her know her and her fiercely protective and supportive mom.

You can learn more about their fundraising efforts here.

Equality Louisiana

While Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued an executive order banning discrimination against LGBT people who work for state government, two anti-LGBT bills, SB 288 and HB 597, continue to progress in legislation.

The Non-discrimination Executive Order, signed by Gov. Edwards today, provides employment protections for state employees on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender idenitity among other things. Gov. Edwards stated, “We are fortuante enough to live in a state that is rich with diversity, and we are built on a foundation of unity and fairness for all of our citizens…While this executive order respects the religous beliefs of our people, it also signlas to the rest of the country that discrimination is not a Louisiana value, but rather, that Louisiaa is a state that is respectful and inclusive of everyone around us.” 

Gov. Edwards signed an executive order protecting ALL LGBT state employees! Read more here: t.co/1Z3GRbQm6w pic.twitter.com/P0s6V3a7D1

— Equality Louisiana (@equalityla) April 13, 2016

However, currently two anti-LGBT bills are circulating in the legislature that have made significant progress towards being passed. The first bill, SB 288, holds that businesses that hire with public money will not be able to enforce policies that protect LGBT employees. The second bill, HB 597, allows individuals employed by a religious organization, including homeless shelter, soup kitchens and medical professions to deny service and accommodations to LGBT people based on religious beliefs. While this section of the bill is presented as a “Pastor Protection Act,” the vagueness of the language in the bill allows not only ministers and members of a clergy, but any other organization loosly defind as “religious” to discriminate based on its “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

As of April 12^th, the bill SB 288, which is sponsored by Senator Conrad Appel, has adopted by the Committee on Transportaion, Highways and Public Works in the Senate, and is pending its third reading and Senate final passage.  The second bill, HB 597, which is sponsored by Senator Mike Johnsons, has been amended based on the Comettee on Civil Law and Procedure’s feedback and is pending its third reading and House final passage.  

Equality Louisiana is urging people to call their representatives and ask them to oppose the harmful HB597 and SB 288.

HB 597 has unfortunately passed with a 7-3 vote. Please call your representative and tell them to OPPOSE HB 597! t.co/PvMU3LXs2L

— Equality Louisiana (@equalityla) April 12, 2016

GLAAD has been speaking out against discriminatory bills such as SB 288 and HB 597, and has released “Debunking the ‘Bathroom Bill’ Myth.” This is a valuable resource for journalists and everyday people to understand the importance and impact of nondiscrimination bills, and ways to debunk falsehoods that are often raised in opposition to such bills. GLAAD is calling on media both in Louisiana and nationally, to ask media to hold promoters of discriminatory bills accountable for false claims they have made.

GLAAD

Today, South Carolina’s state senate heard an overwhelming opposition to South Carolina Senate Bill 1203. This discriminatory bill would  limit the rights of South Carolina’s transgender community by preventing municipalities and schools from establishing protections that would allow transgender individuals from using sex-designated bathrooms. South Carolina LGBT people and allies as well as former and current government officials spoke out against the bill today.

Allies and protestors of the bill held a rally outside the state house, while people gathered inside to testify against S1203. Disriminatory bills such as these have already attracted a great deal of attention around the country, especially in places such as Mississippi,Tennessee, and North Carolina. Today, GLAAD’s Director of Progams, Zeke Stokes, a South Carolina native, attended the state senate hearing of S1203, where people lined up to witness this important moment in South Carolina’s history. “I think those of us who support equality and acceptance want to make sure that we’re able to nip this now than have another North Carolina on our hands where the legislature rammed this through in a very quick period of time and the governor signed it and there really was no time for reaction or to build support against it…So that’s why GLAAD is here on the ground with our partners in South Carolina Equality and others to make sure that we cans top this bill in its tracks,” Stokes told WIS-TV last night in a televised interview.

Legsilatures considering discriminatory bills should keep in mind that the overwhelming opposition to discrimination against LGBT people is not unique to South Carolina’s S1203. LGBT people and allies have aleady united to stand up to discrimination in states like North Carolina, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Americans all over the country are speaking out about the dangerous consequences of anti-LGBT bills, not only for members of the LGBT community, but for all citizens of states adopting disciminatory laws. 

GLAAD has been speaking out against discriminatory laws in several states, and has released “Debunking the ‘Bathroom Bill’ Myth,” a valuable resource for journalists and everyday people to understand the importance and impact of nondiscrimination bills, and ways to debunk falsehoods that are often raised in opposition to such bills. GLAAD is calling on media both in South Carolina and nationally, to ask media to hold promoters of discriminatory bills accountable for false claims they have made.