Hillary Clinton Tells NYC Trans Woman She is Loved, Calls Subway Attack ‘a Rebuke To All of Us’

Earlier this week, we posted about the horrific NYC subway attack on Pearl Love, a transgender woman who was minding her own business when she was harassed and assaulted by a woman on a busy subway. Love posted the video to Facebook, where it has since gone viral.

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton left Love a message on the post, reading:

Pearl, I’m so sorry that you experienced this. The all-too-high prevalence of violence and hatred faced by the transgender community —  in 2016! —is a rebuke to all of us. Every single person deserves to be safe and live free from discrimination and cruelty, period. And transgender people need to hear from every one of us that you are loved, respected, and deserving of equality under the law. Know that you have my support, and I’m on your side.

It’s unclear whether Love has filed a police report. She said that she may do so with the help of friends. The Anti-Violence Project said it is aware of the attack and reached out to elected officials in the appropriate districts.

The post Hillary Clinton Tells NYC Trans Woman She is Loved, Calls Subway Attack ‘a Rebuke To All of Us’ appeared first on Towleroad.

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Six Amazing Moms Who Welcomed Their Transgender Children With Open Arms

For Mother’s Day this year, HRC is honoring mothers across the nation who are standing up for transgender equality.

This particular group of mothers has become outspoken advocates for transgender equality. Whether on Capitol Hill, the Nightly News or at the White House, these moms have become exceptional role models for parents everywhere.

Here are their stories:

1. Michelle: Michelle is just your average mom in Northern California. She is the mother of three children, including her transgender daughter, Malisa. “Malisa is your typical pre-adolescent girl,” Michelle said in a video for HRC. “She loves to craft and sing.” Michelle and her father, Congressman Mike Honda, have both been open about their undivided support for Malisa and equality for the transgender community.           

2. Annie: Annie always knew there was something special about her grandchild, Kaycee. “I knew it was something different about Kaycee,” she said in a HRC video. “Kaycee didn’t have to tell me. I knew it.” While Kaycee was worried about coming out to her family as transgender, her grandmother stood by her side every step of the way.           

3. Ofelia: Ofelia, a mother of three, lives in Los Angeles with her three children, including her transgender daughter, Zoey. “It doesn’t make sense how people can define you without knowing you. It just doesn’t,” Ofelia said in a new HRC video. “If you look at Zoey and you see her, she’s a girl.” Ofelia has not only supported Zoey in her own home, but has lobbied on behalf of the transgender community in Sacramento, working for AB 1266, the School Success and Opportunity Act, and the TRUTH Project.

4. Ileana: Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican, has long been an outspoken advocate on Capitol Hill for LGBT equality, from her early support for lifting the ban against openly-LGBT Americans serving in the military, to advocating for anti-discrimination and anti-bullying measures. For her, it’s personal. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen has a transgender son, Rodrigo.

5. Debi: Debi’s daughter Avery was four-years-old when she proclaimed her true gender identity to her mother. Debi, who is Southern Baptist, admitted that at first she didn’t quite know how to process the information, but as soon as Avery was able to live life freely and openly as her authentic self, Debi and her family saw an immediate change for the better.

6. Jodie:  A mother of five, Jodie noticed from an early age that her third child, Penelope, would study and imitate the actions of his father and brothers. Penelope was assigned female at birth but was certain of his true identity as early as he was able to express it. Jodie swiftly made the important decision to empower and support her child unconditionally.

www.hrc.org/blog/six-amazing-moms-who-welcomed-their-transgender-children-with-open-arms?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

HRC and Equality NC Urge UNC Leadership to Reject HB2 and Comply with Federal Civil Rights Law

HRC and Equality NC have sent letters to chancellors and presidents of the University of North Carolina and North Carolina Community College systems urging them to reverse implementation of the deeply discriminatory HB2. The letter from the two civil rights organizations come after the Department of Justice notified Margaret Spellings, President of the University of North Carolina University System, Thomas Shanahan, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and the UNC Board of Governors that by complying with HB2, the University of North Carolina is in direct violation of federal law.

If the state does not comply with federal civil rights law, it could lose $4.5 billion in federal education funding alone, which works out to nearly $500 per North Carolina taxpayer or a decrease of $2,500 in education funding per public school student, including those attending North Carolina’s public universities.

“Tens of thousands of students, faculty, and college employees across North Carolina have been harmed by HB2,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “The Department of Justice has now affirmed HB2 violates the civil rights of those in the UNC community, and we therefore urge all public universities and colleges to reverse its implementation.  This is not only the right thing to do, it is the law.”

Just yesterday, North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said state leaders will defy federal civil rights laws and the Department of Justice, which gave Gov. McCrory and state officials until Monday to address the situation “by confirming that the State will not comply with or implement HB2.” University of North Carolina President Margaret Spellings, who also received a letter from the DOJ, must now decide whether to stand with the flailing governor and chaos he has created, or comply with federal law in the best interests of students.

The joint letter outlines how Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, how Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex stereotyping, and how non-compliance could cost North Carolina colleges and universities billions in federal funding.

Read the full letter here.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-urges-unc-leadership-to-comply-with-federal-civil-rights-law?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 6, 2016

BREAKING: HRC AND EQUALITY NC CALL ON UNIVERSITY OF NC OFFICIALS TO DO THE RIGHT THING – REJECT HB2, COMPLY WITH FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAW: HRC and Equality NC sent a letter today to the chancellors and presidents of the University of North Carolina and North Carolina Community College systems urging them to protect the wellbeing of their students, and billions in federal funding, by complying with this week’s U.S. Department of Justice order to reverse implementation of the discriminatory HB2. “Tens of thousands of students, faculty, and college employees across North Carolina have been harmed by HB2,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “The Department of Justice has now affirmed HB2 violates the civil rights of those in the UNC community, and we therefore urge all public universities and colleges to reverse its implementation. This is not only the right thing to do, it is the law.” The DOJ told state officials, including UNC President Margaret Spellings, that they have until Monday to comply with federal law. Read the full letter here.

TRANSGENDER WOMAN SHARES HORRIFIC SUBWAY RIDE, HILLARY SHARES SUPPORT, SOLIDARITY: Pearl Love, a transgender woman living in New York City, was physically and verbally assaulted on the subway on April 28. The horrifying incident, which Pearl bravely captured on video and shared on Facebook earlier this week, was a chilling window into the consequences of ignorance, hate and transphobic rhetoric. Between notes from from friends and allies, one heartfelt message stuck out.

NOTORIOUS ANTI-LGBT GROUP TARGETS TRANSGENDER TEEN: The Alliance Defending Freedom, one of the most dangerous organizations working to prevent equality for LGBT people across the globe, has now set its sights on a transgender high school student in Illinois. The hate group that uses its broad reach to promote discriminatory legislation and foster anti-LGBT initiatives across the country and internationally, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over its settlement with the student’s school district which allows her access to locker facilities consistent with her gender identity. Here’s our ever-expanding list of 10 shocking facts about the group. More from The Washington Post.

NC HOUSE SPEAKER TAKING HIS TIME: Despite ramming the bill through the Legislature in less than a day, House Speaker Tim Moore cavalierly said yesterday that state officials will let the Monday deadline to reverse implementation of HB2 “come and go.” The News & Observer calls Moore’s defiant position “nonsense,” and “a waste” wrought by the state’s bumbling GOP leadership, adding:, “Surely the speaker learned his high school civics better than this.” And The Charlotte Observer calls the choice on HB2 “obvious,” saying North Carolina “can obey federal law” or the state “can fight — and lose in so many ways.”

• Cracks in the facade? The Charlotte Observer is reporting that Moore may not be speaking for all GOP leaders. A spokesman for NC Gov. Pat McCrory tells the newspaper that governor does plan to have a response to the DOJ’s order by Monday’s deadline. He did not offer further details.
• Icing on the cake … Former talk show host Montel Williams sent a #lovewins #RepealHB2 cake to the NC’s House Majority Leader’s office yesterday. More from The News & Observer.

MEANWHILE IN ALABAMA: HRC Alabama and its supporters marked the end of Alabama’s 2016 legislative session in a celebratory mood. While seven anti-LGBT bills were introduced, not a single one passed the state legislature — including an awful measure that would have allowed state-based foster care and adoption agencies to reject qualified LGBT prospective parents based on the agency’s religious beliefs, and a mean-spirited anti-marriage equality resolution.

LGBT VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY REJECT TRUMP, SAY #IMWITHER: Given Hillary Clinton’s pro-equality history and Donald Trump’s dismal record with the LGBT community, a new poll showing LGBT voters favor Hillary over Trump by a whopping 4-1 margin comes as no surprise. More from The Washington Blade.

EAT MORE CHIKIN… NOT! NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio is urging New Yorkers to boycott the Chick-Fil-A restaurant chain over its history of anti-LGBT stances. More from Towleroad.

DO NOT ENTER… New Jersey Democratic Sen. Raymond Lesniak wants to ban state-funded travel to states with anti-LGBT laws. More from NewJersey.com.

READING RAINBOW

PBS discusses how North Carolina’s discriminatory bill affects far more than just bathrooms… The Chicago Tribune highlights the story of a transgender prom queen… A 59-year-old transgender woman talks about how Target’s bathroom policy gives her hope in The Star Tribune…and ABC News breaks down the potential, devastating impact Tennessee’s new counseling law could have on LGBTQ youth…

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

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Is Writing “Masc 4 Masc Only” In Your Online Profile Homophobic?

Each week online comedian, voice actor and chest hair model Sam Kalidi creates a comedic post for Queerty readers. This week he considers the possible homophobia in noting that you’re masculine in your online hookup profile and you’re seeking masculine only. He welcomes your hate mail. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at your local glory hole.

The problem with gay guys who write “Masculine for Masculine Only” on Grindr. pic.twitter.com/MMx2z0zVxO

— Sam Kalidi (@samkalidi) May 4, 2016

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Rufus Wainwright Will Make the Strings of Your Heart Go ‘Zing!’ With This Judy Garland Tribute: WATCH

Rufus Wainwright is, not surprisingly, a devotee of one Ms. Judy Garland. And though it’s hard to believe, it’s been 10 years since Wainwright first recreated Judy’s iconic performance at Carnegie Hall. For the uninitiated, Garland’s performance in 1961 has been called “the greatest night in show business history.”

Wainwright is channeling Garland once more at Carnegie Hall on June 16 and 17. Giving the world a little preview of what he can do with Garland’s song book, Wainwright performed his own rendition of one of Judy’s big hits, “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart”, on The Tonight Show earlier this week. And it’s perfection.

Watch Rufus, below.

And you can watch Judy do it, here. The song was of course one of the numbers Garland performed during her Carnegie Hall performance

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Dave Franco Is A Gay Frat Bro in ‘Neighbors 2’ – VIDEO

Dave Franco’s character in the upcoming film Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising will be gay and engaged to another man (John Early, formerly of 30 Rock).

Franco’s character, Pete, was for all intents and purposes heterosexual in the original frat-bro comedy which saw him and fellow frat member Teddy (Zac Efron) wage battle against their new neighbors (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) who just wanted a little peace and quiet.

Yahoo! calls the news a “welcome” but “surprising twist for the sequel to the testosterone-fueled comedy.”

Just to be clear, gay male characters and stories by default have testosterone. They can even be (and often are) fueled by it.

More on the backstory from Yahoo!:

Director Nicholas Stoller first started thinking about evolving Pete’s sexuality in a future sequel while making the original Neighbors. He was particularly inspired by the climactic scene that found frat mastermind Teddy insisting that his bromantic sparring partner Pete flee the scene of a crime — a firework-ravaged party house — so that Teddy could take full responsibility. “I love you,” Pete wistfully tells Teddy before darting off.

“Clearly, we’re playing with the homoerotic tension there, and I was like, ‘He should just be gay,’” Stoller told us last month during a visit to his Hollywood edit bay. “Then in this one, it came up again. [Co-writer] Evan Goldberg brought it up, and he said, ‘I think he should be gay, and part of [his arc] should be the proposal.’ It was kind of all of us coming to the same conclusion.”

Said Franco of the “plot twist”:

 “I was so excited…Even though I’m not on screen for a significant amount of time, hopefully it will be very memorable. And of course I was excited to try something new with the character while still maintaining his essence.”

RELATED: Dave Franco Reflects on F**king Himself

Cinema Blend has more on Pete’s evolution:

During the press junket for the original Neighbors, Stoller was asked by a reporter why he had never included a gay character in previous movies. The director admitted that he had no good answer why he hadn’t, and so began to look for a way to do so.

Watch a report from Cinema Blend, below.

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North Carolina Bathroom Cop Training Video Leaks Online! – WATCH

Okay, not really.

But a new video from Funny or Die mocking North Carolina’s anti-LGBT bathroom bill, HB 2, underscores not only the ridiculousness of the law but also its danger.

In the ‘training video,’ bathroom cop Tammy Cox shows you how you can make sure that North Carolina’s public bathrooms remain a “safe and wholesome place.”

RELATED: North Carolina Just Released This Anti-Gay Tourism Commercial – WATCH

First she advises bathroom cops to require to see ID from anyone entering a state-run bathroom: “You are entering a state run pee-pee and poo-poo facility. May I see some form of gender registration or a Xerox copy of your genitals?”

But if they don’t have any ID on them, or they refuse, you’re going to have to take things a step further: “If a citizen is being invasive you’ll want to conduct a visual scan to make sure they’re not harboring any suspicious genitals on their person.”

And remember, no matter what other dangers might require your attention as an officer of the law, you are a bathroom cop and your duty is to protect the bathrooms of North Carolina from unwanted ding-dongs.

Watch, below.

[h/t NCRM]

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HRC Applauds New Campaign to Reduce Tobacco Use Among LGBTQ Young Adults

Post submitted by Marcos Garcia, Senior Manager, Health & Aging Program

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a new public education campaign that focuses on the nearly 40 percent of LGBTQ young adults between the ages of 18-24 who have stated that they smoke occasionally or “socially.”

Through targeted social media efforts, in-print advertising across 12 key metropolitan areas and partnering with influencers, the “This Free Life” campaign aims at reducing disease, disability and death related to tobacco use among LGBTQ young adults.

LGBTQ young adults are nearly twice as likely to use tobacco as their non-LGBT young adult counterparts. HRC’s “Preventing Substance Abuse among LGBTQ Teens” issue brief found that LGBTQ youth also experiment with alcohol and other drugs occurs at twice the rate of their non-LGBTQ counterparts. Further advancing the need for the FDA’s campaign, HRC’s “Health Disparities among Bisexual People” issue brief noted that bisexual adults have elevated rates of smoking and alcohol use compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

“‘This Free Life’ is designed to challenge the perception that tobacco use is a necessary part of LGBT culture,” said Richard Wolitski, Ph.D., Acting Director, Office for HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy at Department of Health and Human Services. “The campaign shows LGBT young adults they can be the person they want to be and still live tobacco free.”

Additionally, the campaign’s tagline, “Freedom to be, tobacco free,” aims to capitalize on the process of accepting one’s LGBT identity and determination to live their lives freely.

HRC applauds the FDA for leading this campaign. For more information, please visit www.ThisFreeLife.gov

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