North Carolina Legislators Introduce Bill to Replace HB2 with Full Non-Discrimination Protections

Today, HRC commended North Carolina Representatives Chris Sgro, Pricey Harrison, Susan Fisher, and Kelly Alexander for introducing a comprehensive LGBT non-discrimination bill in the North Carolina General Assembly.  This bill would be a companion to HB 946, sponsored by Representatives Jackson, Meyer, Hamilton and G. Martin, and SB 784, sponsored by Senators Van Duyn, J. Jackson, and Woodard.

“Rather than wasting taxpayer dollars defending an indefensible attempt to defy federal civil rights laws, Governor McCrory and the General Assembly should repeal HB2 and replace it with this common sense LGBT non-discrimination bill,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs. “This bill is an important step forward that would ensure that everyone, including LGBT people, can live free from fear of discrimination.”

“We have always known, and come to understand even more urgently during the HB2 debate, the incredible need for non-discrimination protections for LGBT and other North Carolinians,” said Representative Chris Sgro, one of the sponsors of the legislation. “This bill, along with the repeal of HB2, is the important next step that this General Assembly and Governor McCrory must take in order to make North Carolina a true state of equality and help heal our national reputation.”

The non-discrimination bill introduced today comes after Gov. Pat McCrory said on Fox News’ “On the Record” that he did not believe that companies should be able to fire someone because of who they are or whom they love. Not only does North Carolina lack such explicit statewide LGBT non-discrimination protections, but among other things, HB2 also eliminated the ability of North Carolinians to be able to sue if they experienced discrimination in the workforce, including on the basis of race, religion, national origin and sex.  

Yesterday, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, the state’s Department of Public Safety, and the University of North Carolina and Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina.  The Justice Department had previously put Governor McCrory and state officials on notice last week saying North Carolina’s discriminatory HB2 violates federal civil rights law — including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 — and asked them to address the situation “by confirming that the State will not comply with or implement HB2.” But in response to that notice, Gov. McCrory announced he is filing a lawsuit in an attempt to recklessly defend his discriminatory law. Senator Berger & Speaker Moore also filed their own lawsuit.

North Carolina has already lost more than a half billion dollars — and counting — in economic activity just from companies canceling or reconsidering plans to come to the state, and in cancelled conventions, concerts, and other lost tourism dollars. That doesn’t even include potential economic development that now just won’t happen in North Carolina because of McCrory’s radical law, or the potential catastrophic loss of federal funding for schools, roads, bridges, and other essential services.

Lawmakers passed HB2 in a hurried, single-day session, and McCrory quickly signed it into law in the dead of night. Since then, nearly 200 leading CEOs and major business leaders have signed onto HRC and Equality NC’s open letter urging McCrory and the state’s General Assembly to repeal HB2.

HB2 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 education funding alone at risk. It also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in publicly-owned buildings, including in public universities, convention centers, and airports.  

www.hrc.org/blog/NC-legislators-introduce-bill-to-replace-discriminatory-hb2?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Philippines Elects First Openly Transgender Politician to Congress

Yesterday, the Philippines elected its first openly LGBTQ member of Congress. The Washington Blade reported that Geraldine Roman, a transgender woman and member of the Liberal Party, was elected as the representative for Bataan Second Legislative District.

Roman’s victory is extremely exciting for the LGBTQ community. While the country has one of the highest rates of acceptance of LGBTQ people in Asia, transgender people are often stigmatized in the Philippines. Last May, HRC Global joined Filipino transgender model and activist Geena Rocero and the Association of Transgender People of the Philippines on a three-city speaking tour to increase awareness about transgender people and reduce stigma against them.

“Philippines just elected its FIRST Transgender woman in Congress,” Rocero shared on Facebook. “Huge Congrats Geraldine Roman! So PROUD!”

More than a dozen local governments and the Cavite province have non-discrimination laws or policies protecting LGBTQ people. LGBTQ activists are working in this overwhelmingly Catholic country to pass national level legislation to protect or advance the rights of LGBTQ people. Unfortunately, a non-discrimination bill that would protect LGBTQ people has languished in Congress for years.

In addition to Roman’s election to Congress, the outspoken mayor of Davao, Rodrigo Duterte, who came out in support of marriage equality last year, was elected as the country’s new president.

www.hrc.org/blog/philippines-elects-first-openly-transgender-politician-to-congress?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Dan Savage Defends Hillary Clinton's Marriage Record (Video)

The activist tells Stephen Colbert that attacking the presidential candidate for not endorsing marriage equality earlier is a fool’s game.

www.advocate.com/election/2016/5/10/dan-savage-defends-hillary-clintons-marriage-record

Arkansas Judge Accused of Trading Nudes for Lighter Sentences Resigns

Judge Joseph Boeckmann reportedly asked white male defendants to pose naked at his home or be spanked on camera.

www.advocate.com/crime/2016/5/10/arkansas-judge-accused-trading-nudes-lighter-sentences-resigns

Gay Couple in Maine Loses 7 Pets in Fire, Calls It Hate Crime

The couple thinks the man who allegedly set fire to their home in Canaan, Maine, killing three dogs and four cats, targeted the elderly couple because they are gay.

www.advocate.com/crime/2016/5/10/gay-couple-maine-loses-7-pets-fire-calls-it-hate-crime

Counseling Student Proudly Refuses Gay Couples

So let’s say you go to your therapist to work out some issues, and a few sessions in, you mention going to synagogue.

“Well, there’s your problem right there,” he says. “You’re Jewish. Ugh, Jews. You guys are the worst. Get out.”

That’s pretty much what former counseling student Andrew Cash wanted to do, only for queers — to refuse to treat them because he considers them immoral. Missouri State University felt that this might not be a great way for a therapist to care for his clients, and so he was kicked out — and now, of course, he’s suing. Because he’s the victim here.

Specifically, Cash said that he could counsel gay people, but not a couple. He said that his style is based on his “core beliefs, values and Christian worldview.” Which is all fine and dandy, but that’s really not allowed — the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics specifically says that you’re not allowed to use your own personal baggage as an excuse to discriminate.

In fact, there’s a whole clause devoted to it:

A.11.b. Values Within Termination and Referral
Counselors refrain from referring prospective and current clients based solely on the counselor’s personally held values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Counselors respect the diversity of clients and seek training in areas in which they are at risk of imposing their values onto clients, especially when the counselor’s values are inconsistent with the client’s goals or are discriminatory in nature.

And that makes perfect sense. Imagine if other medical professionals were able to do the same: You go to a doctor to look at a suspicious mole, and he refuses to take your insurance because you have it through your same-sex spouse. Or you go to a dentist to get a root canal, and he tells you that he won’t use any anesthesia because he’s in a cult that worships pain. Or you need open-heart surgery, but the doctor’s a Jehovah’s Witness and might let you bleed to death because he doesn’t do blood transfusions.

You would of course be free to go to other doctors — and you probably should in all of those situations — but really those people shouldn’t be allowed to practice medicine in the first place. A medical license means something, and isn’t just handed out to anyone who wants to make up their own fancy imaginary treatments. If your invisible sky daddy is so important to you that you need to break the ethical rules of your chosen discipline, well, maybe theological school might be a better fit.

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Gay Cyclist Stands Up to Homophobic Street Preacher, Leaves Crowd Cheering – WATCH 

A viral video posted on Facebook over the weekend shows what happens when religious bigots are called out for their hatred.

In the video, a homophobic street preacher in Glasgow, Scotland calls for gay people to repent for their wickedness. While a group of onlookers is assembled, no one says anything to the hate monger at first. That is until a cyclist rides by and does a double take before turning back to confront the preacher. The cyclist looks directly at him and challenges him: “I’m gay! I’m gay, so say it to me.” The preacher then tells him to repent. But the cyclist is having none of it. He replies, speaking over the preacher’s hate-speech, “I love me and I don’t need a f*cking God to do it.”

It was that line that caused the assembled crowd to erupt in cheers and applause.

The poster of the video, Emlyn Pearce, who is gay himself, was able to track down and identify the cyclist as Ryan Vance. He also wrote of how inspiring it was to watch Vance stand up to the bigot:

I walk through Glasgow holding hands with my boyfriend all the time, and we have never experienced any homophobia. So to walk down the main shopping street and hear a man shouting that ‘the 99%’ need to stand up to the ‘1%’ who are gay was very sad and very scary.

Then Ryan arrived and did that thing that we all like to think we’d do but few of us ever manage: he stood up to hatred and bigotry without any fear or hesitation. And Ryan is right, we all need to start by loving ourselves, and we don’t need anybody else’s permission to do that.

Ryan Vance, as a gay man and a human being, I salute you: you made the world a better place. Thank you, sir – your pint awaits!

Watch the video, below.

[h/t Attitude]

The post Gay Cyclist Stands Up to Homophobic Street Preacher, Leaves Crowd Cheering – WATCH  appeared first on Towleroad.

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Woman Who Attacked Trans New Yorker on Subway Refuses to Apologize: ‘That Person Offended Me’ – VIDEO

Last week, we told you about a disgusting transphobic attack that occurred on a busy New York City subway train. Now, the cisgender woman seen in a viral video of the attack is speaking out and refusing to apologize for viciously attacking Pearl Love, the transgender woman whose only crime was riding in the same car as her attacker.

ICYMI – NYC Woman Documents Disgusting Transphobic Attack on Busy Subway Train: WATCH

In an interview with New York’s PIX11, Sarah Eldridge says she does not believe she was fully in the wrong. When asked if she would apologize to Love, Eldridge replies, “Now is not the time.”

Via Gawker’s Rich Juzwiak:

“I meant what I said. That person offended me in a way,” Eldridge said of Love. “That person was, to me, explicit. To me, too much. To me, I couldn’t stand it. To me, this is not fair to me.”

When it was suggested to Eldridge that Love was merely existing and being herself, Eldridge told the camera, “I can’t deal with that. I guess I’m not ready.”

[…]

Though we don’t hear the words come out of her mouth, PIX11 reports that “Eldridge said she now feels like a victim” as a result of receiving death threats on Facebook after Love’s video went viral. Additionally, Eldridge tells the public, “Don’t judge me unless you know me. Don’t throw stones unless you haven’t sinned against, you know, someone yourself.”

Eldridge also said of the hate she has received since video of the attack went viral, “Don’t judge me unless you know me. Don’t throw stones unless you haven’t sinned against, you know, someone yourself.”

Juzwiak reached out to Pearl Love for her comments on Eldridge’s lack of contrition:

“Why did she judge me?” said Pearl Love when I reached out to her for a comment on Eldridge’s interview. “She doesn’t even know me. She feels that she was right for assaulting me. She doesn’t feel sorry about it.”

“I’m not angry at all,” said Love when I asked how she feels. “Why be angry? It’s not my mistake to sit in front of her. I respect people who love me, but I also respect people who don’t like me. I respect them for myself. If you are not happy with me, that’s your problem, not mine. You don’t see the beauty in me? That’s your loss.”

Eldridge is reportedly in therapy.

Watch the news report, below.

The post Woman Who Attacked Trans New Yorker on Subway Refuses to Apologize: ‘That Person Offended Me’ – VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

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Anti-Gay Bigots Attack Texas GOP Chair Over LGBT Booth at State Convention

Back in February, we mentioned that the Texas GOP’s 2016 state convention would include an LGBT booth, sponsored by the Metroplex Republicans, for the first time in its history this year.

The decision to allow the booth prompted Texas Eagle Forum President Cathie Adams, who’s running for vice president of the party, to suggest that it would scare away parents who didn’t want their children to be exposed to LGBT people during the event.

Now, with the convention set to begin Thursday in Dallas, anti-gay Houston bigot Dr. Steve Hotze has sent out the above flier attacking the current chair of the party, Tom Mechler, for allowing the booth.

Hotze supports Jared Woodfill, who served as spokesman for the campaign to repeal Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance and is running against Mechler for chair.

In fact, Woodfill announced his candidacy for state party chair at a rally last summer where Hotze wielded a sword on stage and pledged to drive “homofascists” out of Houston and back to San Francisco.

The Dallas Morning News reports on Hotze’s flier:

Mechler said that he did not have anything to do with the decision to allow the group, the Metroplex Republicans, to have a booth at the state GOP convention.

“I understand that hatred has spewed into the chairman’s race,” Mechler said. …

“Mechler and the RINOs want to promote ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusivity’ at the expense of the principles in our party platform, so that they can embrace the homosexual political movement,” the mailer states. RINO stands for “Republican in name only,” a jab that staunch conservatives like to take at those they deem insufficiently to the right. …

Rudy Oeftering, vice president of the Metroplex Republicans, said he was happy with the decision and excited about the booth.

“We know there are people upset out there,” he said. “The booth will be very positive.”

In fact, the booth was only allowed because Metroplex Republicans agreed not to use it to promote LGBT rights.

As for Mechler, he once said he’d cancel his subscription if his hometown newspaper ever published a photo of a gay couple kissing. But apparently that’s not anti-gay enough for some Texas Republicans.

The post Anti-Gay Bigots Attack Texas GOP Chair Over LGBT Booth at State Convention appeared first on Towleroad.

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TurnOUT! North Carolina Participates in Weekend of Action in Charlotte and Raleigh to Repeal HB2

Organizers from TurnOUT! North Carolina (NC), a coalition of HRC, Equality North Carolina, the ACLU and the Campaign for Southern Equality, descended on a series of events in both Raleigh and Charlotte last weekend. TurnOUT! NC organizers worked at these public events to collect signatures on petitions calling for full repeal of House Bill 2 (HB2).

In Charlotte, organizers joined hundreds of people marching in the 20th Annual Charlotte AIDS Walk. Our TurnOUT! NC organizers collected petition signatures to Repeal HB2 from many of the event participants, who were there to help raise over $145,000 for RAIN.

A a field organizer for HRC, my time has been contributed to the TurnOUT! NC campaign as Deputy Director of Member Mobilization. In this role, I focus on getting members and supporters of pro-equality organizations to take action to fully repeal of HB2. As I collected petitions on Saturday at the Charlotte AIDS Walk, I was overwhelmed by the opposition to HB2. The only people who declined to sign the petition were people who had already signed the petition online or at other events. It is clear that this harmful bill is hurting North Carolinians no matter your race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.

While our team was busy in Charlotte, another team of TurnOUT! NC organizers was busy collecting petitions at Out! Raleigh, a day-long LGBT festival just blocks from the North Carolina General Assembly.

TurnOUT! NC field organizer Maddie Majerus collected petitions at Out! Raleigh. They joined the pro-equality crowd to collect petition signatures calling on North Carolina legislators and Governor McCrory to repeal HB2.

TurnOUT! NC is working to mobilize thousands of pro-equality North Carolinians to speak out for full repeal of HB2. TurnOUT! NC has field organizers based in Asheville, Charlotte and the Triangle area. Additionally, HRC staff is on the ground working with coalition partners across the Tar Heel State. There are daily opportunities to volunteer with weekly phonebanks and weekend canvassing opportunities.

If you live in North Carolina and want to join the efforts to repeal HB2, RSVP for upcoming phonebanks and volunteer opportunities. For more information about our work in North Carolina, contact HRC Associate Regional Field Director Ryan Rowe at [email protected].

Above:  TurnOUT! field organizers pause for a photo with Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts at the 20th Annual Charlotte AIDS Walk.

Above: HRC staff members Ryan Wilson (left) and Hope Jackson (right) catch a selfie with openly LGBT Charlotte City Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield at the Charlotte AIDS Walk.

www.hrc.org/blog/turnout-north-carolina-participates-in-weekend-of-action-in-charlotte-and-r?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed