N.C. Gov Thinks He Could Lose Job, Blames PC Culture for HB 2 Hate

For Pat McCrory — North Carolina’s Republican governor and proud proponent of its beleaguered anti-LGBT law — it’s starting to sink in that he may lose his job.

www.advocate.com/politicians/2016/5/04/nc-gov-thinks-he-could-lose-job-blames-pc-culture-hb-2-hate

Justice Department: North Carolina's HB 2 Violates Federal Law

The department is calling on Gov. Pat McCrory and other state officials to cease enforcing the anti-LGBT law.

www.advocate.com/politics/2016/5/04/justice-department-north-carolinas-hb-2-violates-federal-law

‘Captain America: Civil War’ Directors Open To LGBT Superheroes

Any comic book fan will tell you that the sprawling multiverse that is Marvel Comics includes a ton of queer superheroes. But so far none of those characters have made it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now, Captain America: Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo say the ball is in their court when it comes to including LGBT superheroes in future films. “It’s incumbent upon us as storytellers who are making mass-appeal movies to…diversify as much as possible,” said Joe Russo in an interview with Collider. Meanwhile, Anthony suggested that the massive success of the blockbuster franchise could give the filmmakers the leeway to include queer characters without affecting their appeal in less LGBT-friendly markets like China and Russia.

Of course, many of Marvel’s most popular and prominent gay heroes are tied up in the X-Men franchise, which is owned by 20th Century Fox. (Gay director Bryan Singer has included characters like Iceman and Colossus, who were later revealed to be gay in the comics, but oddly has avoided any mention of Mystique’s long established bi-sexuality.) But Marvel Studios presumably still owns the film rights to Young Avengers and long-time couple Wiccan and Hulkling. And with Spider-Man and Black Panther appearing in Captain America: Civil War, that opens up the possibility of future appearances by Ultimate Spider-Woman (a lesbian Peter Parker clone from the same universe as Samuel L. Jackson’s version of Nick Fury) and the Dora Milaje (Black Panther’s all-female bodyguards, two of whom were revealed to be lesbians in writer Ta-Nehisi Coates’s run on the series).

Though the Russo bros. stopped short of promising to include any specific queer characters, it’s definitely encouraging that they’re open and enthusiastic about the idea of a more diverse super squad. Which other LGBT heroes would you like to see in Marvel movies?

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/53b8U8i-KZ8/captain-america-civil-war-directors-open-lgbt-superheroes-20160504

NEW MUSIC: Christine and the Queens, Emmy the Great, Pity Sex

This week in New Music: infectious low key crossover French pop from Christine and the Queens, Emmy the Great toys with her name by ditching the love and Michigan’s Pity Sex trash around with indie rock post-relationship blues on White Hot Moon.

Christine and the Queens – Chaleur Humaine

Recording as Christine and the Queens (above), Héloïse Letissier is a massive mainstream success in her native France. The original French version of Chaleur Humaine, on which this release is based, has spent close to two years on the French top 40.

French pop music is often difficult because – rightly so and as with everything else – most French artists refuse to tone down the essential Gallicness of their work. There has been a few crossover musicians over the years. Vanessa Paradis. Desireless. Em….Melanie Laurent?

What Letissier has to her advantage – which for some reason didn’t transfer into success for Laurent – is that she remains quintessentially French while riding the wave of the recent downtempo electronica/Europop explosion.

That the album includes a collaboration with Perfume Genius says a lot. The songs here are beautifully constructed, wispy pop gems with hats tipped to R&B and hip hop.

Probably the most accessible song on the album is the beautiful, breathy and somewhat bonkers Tilted. Couple with a mesmerizing live performance, that song alone should drive Letissier to the kind of mainstream success that has eluded many of her European contemporaries.

Emmy the Great – Second Love

Emma-Lee Moss, aka the frankly wonderful Emmy the Great, has spent the intervening years since her last album proper in 2011 traveling the world and writing as a music journalist.

While PJ Harvey traveled the world and wrote about what she saw, Moss would appear to have used the time to take a good, long look at herself. What she has come up with is a set of impeccable, sparse pop songs not so much about lost loves than the possibility of finding someone at some point in the future and on her own terms. It is in fact all on her own terms and when she’s not concerned with love etc., she turns her often brilliant lyrics to the stuff that gets in the way (“We thought that weight loss was survival, We thought that Vogue was French for Bible”).

Naming herself Emmy the Great was apparently a joke befitting a fringe alt folk singer songwriter. Ditching that sound somewhat for a touch of electronic experimentation, Second Love opens up a new world for Moss and, if she’s not careful, possibly greatness.

Pity Sex – White Hot Moon

How to get some attention for your not-EMO band: come up with an eye catching name.

How to turn the initial rush into something long term: back it up with a fuzzy beauty that is EMO enough but with enough of a hint of indie rock to suggest it may well be for grown ups.

Check – The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die.

Check – Pity Sex.

What you need to know – boy/girl harmonies, feedback, indie rock posturing, shoegaze introspective enough to act as a soundtrack to your next post-pity sex downer (possibly, I wouldn’t know).

“I’ll never say I loved you because you know I still do”, we’re told. “You are my fondest memories, you are the earth beneath my feet” apparently. Relationships are hard they’re saying. Pity sex is inevitable they think. And then it’s all over….

The post NEW MUSIC: Christine and the Queens, Emmy the Great, Pity Sex appeared first on Towleroad.

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Justice Dept. Says HB2 Violates Civil Rights Act; Gives Pat McCrory Monday Deadline…

Governor Pat McCrory must notify the Department of Justice by Monday that the state “will not comply with or implement HB2” or it risks violating the Civil Rights Act and losing hundreds of millions in federal funding, the Charlotte Observer reports:

The letter says HB2, which pre-empted Charlotte’s anti-discrimination ordinance, violates Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination in education based on sex, and Title VII, which bars employers from discriminating.

If that determination is upheld, North Carolina could lose millions in federal school funding. During the current school year, state public schools received $861 million in federal funding.

In the letter, Vanita Gupta, principal deputy assistant attorney general, said, “”…The Department of Justice has determined that, as a result of compliance with and implementation of NC House Bill2, both you and the state of NC are in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 0f 1964…

“Title VII prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual on the basis of sex and from otherwise resisting the full enjoyment of Title VII rights….Federal courts and administrative agencies have applied Title VII to discrimination against transgender individuals based on sex, including gender identity….

The letter gives McCrory a deadline: “Please advise the department, therefore, no later than the close of business on May 9, 2016, whether you will remedy these violations of Title VII including by confirming that the state will not comply with or implement HB2.”

According to the paper, the NC Department of Public Safety and the University of North Carolina have also been notified they’re in violation of Title IX by implementing the law.

Here’s the letter.

RELATED: Beyoncé Comes Out Against North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT ‘Bathroom Bill’

The post Justice Dept. Says HB2 Violates Civil Rights Act; Gives Pat McCrory Monday Deadline… appeared first on Towleroad.

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Justice Department Tells North Carolina To Abandon Its Anti-LGBT Bathroom Bill — Or Else

HB2 violates federal law, and the federal government won’t let it stand.

The post Justice Department Tells North Carolina To Abandon Its Anti-LGBT Bathroom Bill — Or Else appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/05/04/3775469/hb2-violates-civil-rights-act/

BREAKING : U.S. Justice Department Says HB2 Violates Federal Law, Gives Gov. McCrory Monday Deadline

Today, HRC and Equality NC responded to news that the U.S. Department of Justice has determined North Carolina’s discriminatory HB 2 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.  As reported by the Charlotte Observer, “The department gave state officials until Monday to address the situation ‘by confirming that the State will not comply with or implement HB 2.’”

“HB 2 is a discriminatory, dangerous piece of legislation and today the Department of Justice confirmed that it violates federal civil rights law,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “We commend the Justice Department for enforcing the rule of law and protecting the rights of North Carolinians. We once again urge Governor McCrory and the state of North Carolina to immediately do the same and fully repeal this harmful bill.”

“The letter confirms what we’ve already known – that HB2 is deeply discriminatory, violated federal civil rights law, and needs to be repealed as soon as possible,” said Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro. “We’ve already lost $500 million in economic impact and now we are violating federal civil rights law and risking Title IX funding. This is a travesty and embarrassment for North Carolina. There is a repeal bill filed in the House, and it should be considered immediately.”

The letter lays out the Department of Justice’s determination that HB 2 puts Governor McCrory and the state government in violation of federal employment law (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) should the state comply with its recently enacted law.  The letter also states that public schools and universities that comply are in violation of federal education law (Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972).  If the state insists on implementing HB 2, it is now on notice that it risks a lawsuit by the Department of Justice. Further, for universities this puts 4.5 billion dollars in federal education funding at risk and endangers other federal funding streams as well.  Read more about how this bill puts Title IX funding at risk here.  

HB 2 forces transgender students in public schools to use restrooms and other facilities inconsistent with their gender identity, which is a clear violation of Title IX’s protections from discrimination on the basis of sex.  Both the U.S. Department of Education and a recent Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Case reiterate that Title IX’s protections from discrimination on the basis of sex require schools to provide transgender students access to facilities in accordance with their gender identity.

HB 2 required – and Governor McCrory’s recent Executive Order confirmed – that transgender state and municipal employees would be denied access to restroom and other facilities consistent with their gender identity.  Private employers who lease publicly-owned property would also be forced to discriminate in the provision of restrooms.  These provisions are in clear conflict with Title VII’s requirement that employees not be subject to discrimination on the basis of their sex, which has been interpreted by the EEOC and multiple federal courts to include discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.

HB 2 also eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future.  Further, it revoked the ability to sue under state employment non-discrimination law on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, religion, national origin, and sex.

Gov. McCrory and state lawmakers are under increasingly intense pressure to repeal HB2. Nearly 200 leading CEOs and business leaders have urged Gov. McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the deeply discriminatory law that’s bad for business and bad for North Carolina. Mayors and governors across the country are banning travel to the state, musicians are cancelling concerts, and the New York Times editorial board called North Carolina a “pioneer in bigotry.” The NBA has threatened next year’s All-Star Game in Charlotte, NASCAR has spoken about its opposition publicly, and the NCAA has said it won’t schedule events – including the Final Four – in cities that don’t have fully-inclusive non-discrimination laws. Major film studios and corporations, from PayPal to Deutsche Bank, have stopped investments in the state because of the new law. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office has even warned its LGBT citizens of the risks of traveling to North Carolina.

HRC and Equality NC continue to call for the full repeal of HB2, a blatantly discriminatory law targeting transgender people, and denying municipalities supporting LGBT equality from extending non-discrimination protections to all of their residents.

www.hrc.org/blog/breaking-u.s.-justice-department-says-hb2-violates-federal-law-gives-gov.-m?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Oxford, AL City Council Retreats, Votes to Repeal Shameful Anti-Transgender Ordinance

At a special meeting earlier today, the Oxford, Ala, City Council voted 3-2  to repeal a discriminatory new ordinance that would have prevented transgender residents and visitors from using public restroom facilities consistent with their gender identity. This anti-transgender law was unprecedented in its establishment of criminal penalties for violations — including a $500 fine or 6 months in jail — and raised a myriad of privacy and legal concerns regarding how the law would have been enforced. The council’s action came during a 10-day recall window; the ordinance had not yet been signed by the mayor.

“It’s a great day in the state of Alabama and we commend Councilperson Charlotte Hubbard for leading the recall effort,” said HRC Alabama State Director Eva Walton Kendrick. “This sends a welcome message of inclusion to Oxford’s families, businesses and visitors, and sets an example for other communities that may be considering similar legislation. Fair-minded Americans do not believe in discrimination, and we must continue to educate one another on the importance of being inclusive and welcoming to all. ”

The Oxford City Council’s decision to recall the ordinance comes as similar proposals are being rejected at the state and local level across the country. On Monday, the City Council of Rockwall, Texas, unanimously rejected a bill proposed by Mayor Jim Pruitt that would have prohibited transgender people from using restrooms consistent with their gender identities. Scores of community members also came to speak out against that proposal.

At the state level, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard earlier this year vetoed legislation that limited restroom use for transgender children in public schools, and last month, the sponsor of a similar bill in Tennessee announced plans to pull the legislation from consideration this legislative session. With its passage of the anti-transgender HB2, North Carolina became the first state to enact this type of legislation. The state is facing a federal court challenge and fierce backlash, and today the U.S. Department of Justice notified Gov. Pat McCrory that the law violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act.

Oxford’s ordinance was unprecedented in that it enumerated criminal penalties, including the potential for jail time, for violations. It also applied to bathrooms and locker rooms citywide, including in private businesses, which went further than similar provision in North Carolina’s law which applies to government buildings and schools.

In 2014, HRC launched Project One America, an initiative geared towards advancing social, institutional and legal equality in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. HRC Alabama continues to work to advance equality for LGBT Alabamians who have no statewide protections in housing, workplace, or public accommodations; and legal state recognition for their relationships and families. Through HRC Alabama, we are working toward a future of fairness every day—changing hearts, minds and laws toward achieving full equality.

www.hrc.org/blog/breaking-oxford-al-city-council-retreats-votes-to-repeal-shameful-anti-tran?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Oxford, Alabama Repeals Anti-Trans Bill

A slim majority of city council members voted to repeal the law that would have imposed a $500 fine and jail time for any transgender person who used a bathroom that matched their gender identity.

www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/5/04/oxford-alabama-repeals-anti-trans-bill