Legislative Assault on Trans Students in TN Advances Despite National Outcry on Similar Law in NC

Today, HRC blasted a vote of 8 to 4 by the Tennessee House Education Administration & Planning Committee advancing HB 2414 – an outrageous bill targeting transgender students in public schools and universities. The measure, which now moves to the House Finance Committee, seeks to force transgender students to use restrooms and other facilities inconsistent with their gender identity.

The committee voted to advance the discriminatory legislation despite calls from major corporations and LGBT advocates to abandon the discriminatory bill. Making clear that the proposal is both wrong and bad for business, HRC released an open letter earlier today from executives at Dow Chemical, HPE, Choice Hotels, and Alcoa urging lawmakers to abandon HB 2414 and its Senate companion bill, SB 2387. Viacom, the parent company of Country Music Television, also issued a statement yesterday urging lawmakers to reject the legislation.

“Tennessee lawmakers must not be paying attention to North Carolina and the national backlash caused by a similar legislative attack on transgender people,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “In addition to undermining Tennessee’s economy, this vicious and appalling measure would needlessly jeopardize millions in federal funding for Tennessee’s schools and universities in an attempt to force local administrators and teachers to discriminate against transgender students – young people who already face high rates of harassment, bullying, and discrimination. The Tennessee Senate must resoundingly reject this outrageous proposal.”

Fair-minded Tennesseans; major national child welfare, medical, and education groups; the Tennessee Equality Project; Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition; Tennessee ACLU; and the Human Rights Campaign have been calling on lawmakers to abandon the discriminatory legislation that would further compound the marginalization and harassment transgender students already face. Seven major national child welfare, medical, and education groups have condemned this type of discriminatory legislation – including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American School Counselor Association, the Child Welfare League of America, the National Association of School Psychologists, the National Association of Social Workers, and the National Education Association. Expressing strong opposition, the organizations made clear that the proposals “would compromise the safety and well-being of the young people we all have the duty and obligation to support and protect.”

While South Dakota’s Republican Governor vetoed a similar bill, North Carolina’s Governor McCrory signed into law a measure that, among other discriminatory provisions, includes a similar appalling attack on transgender students. Because of Governor McCrory’s failed leadership, North Carolina is now facing economic falloutinflicted on the state by anti-equality activists. Over 130 major business leaders have signed onto a letter urging North Carolina to repeal that discriminatory law in the upcoming legislative session.

HB 2414 and SB 2387 would put Tennessee school districts at risk of losing federal funds under Title IX. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has echoed concerns that the discriminatory measure would compromise the state’s three billion dollars in federal funding for its schools and universities. His spokesperson also said the governor “trusts our teachers and local school boards to make necessary accommodations” for transgender students. The legislation offers costly supposed solutions to non-existent problems, and it would force 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 these bills put federal funding at risk here.

According to the Williams Institute, there are over 10,000 transgender youth in Tennessee between the ages of 13 and 19.

www.hrc.org/blog/legislative-assault-on-trans-students-in-tn-advances-despite-national-outcr?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Senate HELP Committee Takes Steps to Improve LGBTQ Medical Research

Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee took an important step to improve medical research about the health of LGBTQ Americans. The committee passed the bipartisan S. 2745, Advancing National Institutes of Health (NIH) Strategic Planning and Representation in Medical Research Act, by voice vote. 

This legislation requires the Director of the NIH, in consultation with its institute and center directors, to develop a six-year coordinated research strategy. The roadmap will outline the direction of biomedical research investments at NIH, including research priorities, consideration of disease burden and biological and social determinants of health.

Historically, LGBTQ people have been underrepresented in clinical trials and health research, a point highlighted in the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) landmark report issued in March 2011. That report emphasized the need for a solid evidence base from which researchers could advance the knowledge and understanding of this disparity population. This legislation will address that concern by encouraging the Director of NIH to improve research related to the health of sexual and gender minority populations by facilitating increased participation of such groups in NIH supported clinical research.

In order to advance and improve the health status of LGBTQ Americans, researchers must have access to valid and reliable data measures as soon as possible. The bill also sets a two-year timeline for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make public and disseminate data measures for gathering health information about sexual and gender minorities.

Senate HELP Committee members Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sponsored and worked together to move the bill through the committee. We will be partnering with them to ensure timely consideration on the Senate floor. 

www.hrc.org/blog/senate-help-committee-takes-steps-to-improve-lgbtq-medical-research?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

PHOTOS: Hundreds of voices Mississippi Gov. Bryant ignored by signing HB 1523 into law

www.glaad.org/blog/photos-hundreds-voices-mississippi-gov-bryant-ignored-signing-hb-1523-law

States Turn Their Back On Mississippi Over Its New Discriminatory Law

Mississippi has the worst economy in the country, and now states are turning their back on it.

The post States Turn Their Back On Mississippi Over Its New Discriminatory Law appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/04/06/3767085/mississippi-travel-bans/

HRC Celebrates Defeat of Discriminatory Anti-LGBT Bill with Victory Rally in Atlanta

Post submitted by Hope Jackson, HRC Southern Regional Field Organizer

Yesterday, HRC, Georgia Equality and over 300 supporters gathered at Liberty Plaza next to the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta to celebrate Governor Nathan Deal’s veto of the so called “First Amendment Defense Act” (HB 757) and to call for fully inclusive LGBT non-discrimination protections in the Peach State.

Georgia Unites Against Discrimination, a project of HRC and Georgia Equality, has been on the ground mobilizing supporters to fight back against HB 757. Following weeks of pressure and massive backlash of opposition from civil rights groups, leaders in Hollywood and corporate America, Governor Deal announced last week that he would veto the deeply discriminatory bill.

If signed into law, HB 757 would have weakened local non-discrimination protections, allowed businesses to discriminate and deny service to LGBT people and explicitly empowered discrimination by taxpayer-funded religious organizations.

At the victory rally, HRC’s Board of Director Ames Simmons joined Georgia Equality’s Executive Director Jeff Graham, Former State Representative and Regional Director of Lambda Legal Simone Bell and faith and community leaders. Several ally Georgia legislators were present at the rally, including three openly LGBTQ legislators (Rep. Karla Drenner, Rep. Keisha Waites, and Rep. Park Cannon) and Senators Elena Parent and Vincent Fort.

“Today is a good day in our state and today is especially a good day for those of us who identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender,” said Jeff Graham, Executive Director of Georgia Equality. “It is a good day because thankfully Governor Deal showed leadership and the conviction to say no to harmful legislation that would have opened the doors and could have been used as a license to discriminate against many Georgians, but very specifically those of us in the LGBT community.”

“Georgia has set a precedent that we can do this work in the South. We can win this…we’re going to stand with North Carolina, we’re going to stand with our brothers and sisters in Mississippi, and we’re going to let the entire world,” Bell added. “The South is a place where we can live, we can have families, we can have jobs, but most importantly we can be who we were created to be.”

Simmons added that Governor Deal’s veto provides North Carolina Governor McCrory and Mississippi Governor Bryant “with an example of what they need to do to ensure that their constituents remain safe and able to lead full lives, no matter which side of a state line they live on.”

“We know that abuses of religious liberty protections can have a disproportionate negative impact on vulnerable communities such as women of color and LGBTQ youth, especially transgender and gender nonconforming youth…but we know that religious liberty does not have to mean regressive,” Simmons continued. “While today we celebrate, after we leave here, the work continues. Now is the time to engage; now is the time to continue the work at hand.”

While we celebrate the defeat of HB 757, we know that this victory in Georgia is short-lived as we reach across state borders to fight in North Carolina and Mississippi and brace for more anti-LGBT legislation returning next year in Georgia. HRC will continue to work with our coalition partners and remain resilient in the fight for fully inclusive non-discrimination protections.

Above: Faith leaders gather at rally.

Above: HRC Board of Director Ames Simmons addresses supporters at the rall

Above: HRC Steering Committee members were present to celebrate the victory.

Above: Sen. Elena Parent (D-42) at Georgia Unites’ Rally.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-celebrates-defeat-of-discriminatory-anti-lgbt-bill-with-victory-rally?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

VIDEO: Geena Rocero receives GLAAD Media Award from Carson Kressley for Logo's Beautiful As I Want To Be

www.glaad.org/blog/video-geena-rocero-receives-glaad-media-award-carson-kressley-logos-beautiful-i-want-be