La Communidad Latinx es Desproporcionadamente Impactada en el Tiroteo de Orlando

Lo que ocurrió en Orlando ha sacudido a esta nación y al resto del mundo. Estamos sumamente concertados y sentimos una profunda tristeza por las 49 personas inocentes que trágicamente perdieron sus vidas y así mismo por las otras 50 personas heridas, muchas quienes en el hospital aún luchan por sus vidas. La mayoría de las víctimas eran de la comunidad Latina y LGBTQ.

Expresamos nuestras condolencias y nuestro más sincero y profundo pésame por sus familias, sus seres queridos y toda la comunidad.

Trágicamente, este ataque mortal es el peor tiroteo masivo en la historia de nuestra nación. En este momento, como nación y como comunidad, debemos unirnos para derrotar el odio y la intolerancia que motivó este ataque tan horrendo y otros similares.

Este ataque también se tomo a cabo durante “La Noche Latína” en donde la mayoría de las víctimas eran latinos asi como LGBTQ. Nuestras comunidades LGBTQ y de color son trágicamente víctimas de violencia en una manera desproporcionada y alarmante.

www.hrc.org/blog/la-communidad-latinx-es-desproporcionadamente-impactada-en-el-tiroteo-de-or?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

U.S. Office of Special Counsel Releases Gender Transition Policy

Post submitted by HRC Law Fellow James Shygelski

On Tuesday, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) released a Gender Transition Policy as part of recent efforts to raise awareness of the issues still present within the LGBTQ community. In issuing this policy, OSC aims to achieve “a diverse and inclusive workplace free of discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming employees and applicants.”

In a thirteen page directive, OSC detailed their new policy for responding to the workplace challenges faced by those entering the transition process. Recognizing that transitioning is an “inherently personal” experience, the policy mainly addresses common changes and questions in the workplace, such as information privacy and confidentiality, name and pronoun usage, and access to facilities consistent with gender identity.

Under the policy terms, transitioning employees will work with supervisors and a designated Gender Transition Coordinator (GTC), to develop a Workplace Transition Plan tailored to the needs and confidentiality concerns of the employee. This system allows the employee “to decide when, with whom, and how much information to share” about their transition, while simultaneously setting a timeline for establishing name and pronoun changes, as well as allowing access to restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity on the first full day of work. In addition to these services, the GTC works with the employee to ensure that all personnel records are promptly changed, federal insurance benefits are maintained and medical leave is provided through appropriate channels for those who undergo surgical transitions.

OSC also reaffirmed its commitment to adhering to existing federal regulations aimed at preventing discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In a press release, Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner stated “[d]iscrimination against LGBT employees in the federal workplace is illegal” and vowed to “vigorously enforce the law and conduct training and outreach to educate managers and employees on how to make their agencies diverse and inclusive.” The policy clearly details the potential for legal ramifications for intentionally violating its harassment provisions through derogatory remarks, demeaning behavior or the intentional misuse of improper pronouns or an incorrect name both verbally and in writing. Supervisors and managers are encouraged to undergo training with their staff to implement these policies, and to promote reporting any witnessed violations.  Moreover, these policies further apply in the hiring practices, granting further protections to those who began or already completed the transition process, regardless of whether or not that information was disclosed at the onset.

“We hope our policy inspires other agencies to craft their own gender transition policies,” Lerner continued.

HRC applauds OSC for implementing this important policy.

To view the OSC webpage listing LGBTQ resources, please click here.

www.hrc.org/blog/u.s.-office-of-special-counsel-releases-gender-transition-policy?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: June 16, 2016

SHAMEFUL: TRUMP ALIGNS WITH McCRORY, WHO JUST SIGNED HATEFUL HB2 LAW; SAYS HE’S DOING A “FANTASTIC JOB” Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump continues to show his true, anti-LGBTQ colors. After delivering a disgusting speech saying he “predicted” the Orlando tragedy, Trump traveled to North Carolina to attend a fundraiser with NC Governor Pat McCrory and later praised him for “doing a fantastic job.” HRC President Chad Griffin blasted Trump for endorsing McCrory: “Donald Trump’s two-faced insincerity is mind-blowing. If his anti-LGBTQ agenda and unbridled Islamophobia didn’t give fair-minded voters enough pause, his hearty endorsement of a Governor who has made North Carolina home to one of the worst state law in the nation for LGBTQ people should.” More from Buzzfeed.

• #AskTheGays: Need further proof of Trump’s deplorable record on LGBTQ issues? He encouraged us all to ask “The Gays” and they responded in kind. Read the best responses at BuzzFeed.

Earlier today, dozens of HRC staffers and other advocates chanted “Love Conquers Hate” outside a building near HRC where the anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim Trump was being deposed in a lawsuit. More from Politico.

TOP UTAH OFFICIAL APOLOGIZES FOR FAILING TO STAND WITH THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY: Powerfully testifying to the power of knowing LGBTQ people as colleagues, friends and fellow citizens, Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox offered an apology for not standing with the LGBTQ community sooner. At a vigil this week for victims of the Orlando massacre, the Utah Republican said: “Over the intervening years, my heart has changed. It has changed because of you. It has changed because I have gotten to know many of you.You have treated me with the kindness, dignity, and respect — the love — that I very often did not deserve. And it has made me love you.”

• But anti-LGBTQ animus is still evident at the Republican National Committee, which edited its original statement on the Orlando shooting to eliminate references to LGBTQ people as victims of the attack. HRC Communications Jay Brown said that “the RNC’s erasure of LGBTQ people of color, who were targeted simply because of who they are, demonstrates a profound lack of judgment and empathy that has no place in politics.”
• Meanwhile, actor and LGBTQ activist Wilson Cruz, who lost a family member in the Orlando massacre, described it as “a direct attack on LGBTQ Latinos.” In an interview with The Huffington Post, Cruz, best known for his role as one of the first queer characters of color in the cult-classic “My So-Called Life,” urged the media not to “whitewash the experience.” Cruz, related by marriage to victim Brenda Lee Márquez McCool, encouraged the LGBTQ Latinx community to “find some refuge and some comfort in knowing that they are members of a long line of LGBT Latino people that have fought their entire lives, generation after generation, for our right to live the lives that we live now…”
• For more on how you can support victims, survivors and their families go to WeAreOrlando.org and SomosOrlando.org.

A CLOSER LOOK AT ANTI-LGBTQ HATE CRIMES: The New York Times highlights the high rate of hate crimes against the LGBTQ community, which is more likely to be targeted than any other minority group. The report breaks down the most recent data from the FBI, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) and HRC. Reporting often dramatically undercounts LGBTQ data, as it’s based on local, non-mandatory reporting. More here.

HOLD THE FLOOR: In a historic 15-hour filibuster, Senate Democrats argued for gun law reform in the wake of the tragic Orlando massacre. The effort was initiated by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn), who was joined by dozens of senators including Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-Md), Dick Durbin (D-Ill), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), Joe Manchin (D-W. Va), Ed Markey (D-Mass), Bill Nelson (D-Fl), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), among others. The names of the 49 victims in Orlando were read during the impassioned speeches, and accounts given other major mass shootings in the United States. The filibuster ended at 2 AM today when the Senate majority agreed to allow votes on gun-control legislation. More from Politico.

ORLANDO TRAGEDY INSPIRES PEOPLE TO LIVE THEIR TRUTH: Following the tragedy in Orlando, people, including including actress and author Mara Wilson, are using social media to open up about their own sexual orientation and gender identity. Wilson, best known for her role in the films Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda, tweeted Monday about her sexual orientation. “I said I used to identify as mostly straight. I’ve embraced the Bi/Queer label lately,” she said. BuzzFeed reported that a number of people around the globe took to social media to come out, sending a powerful message to those still closeted. And surveys have shown that when people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. More from HRC.

• LGBTQ members of Congress have also spoken out in the wake of the tragedy. Yesterday the co-chairs of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, Reps. Jared Polis, David Cicilline, Sean Patrick Maloney, Mark Pocan, Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Takano, all released statements. Read them here.
• A brave gay couple in Moscow was arrested earlier this week for leaving a “Love Wins” sign at a memorial for the victims of the Orlando massacre. They were questioned for three hours and face 10 days in prison or a fine of 60,000 rubles if convicted. Read more here.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HONORS ARMY RESERVIST KILLED IN ORLANDO ATTACK: U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter movingly honored Army Reserve Captain Antonio Brown, who lost his life in the Orlando shooting last weekend. Brown had served in the Army domestically and abroad for nearly a decade. Carter said that Brown “gave his fellow Americans the security to dream their dreams, and live full lives,” asserting that the Army stands “with the people of Orlando and the nation’s LGBT community during this difficult time….”

KANSAS VOTES TO PUT TRANS STUDENTS AT RISK: Yesterday the Kansas State Board of Education unanimously voted to ignore the Obama administration’s historic guidance ensuring that transgender students are treated with respect in public and federally-funded schools, instead leaving the decision of whether to comply with federal civil rights law to each individual school district. Kansas schools receive almost $500 million dollars in federal education funding, which would be at risk if schools fail to comply. More from The Associated Press.

AMA URGES BETTER PrEP EDUCATION FOR PROVIDERS: Yesterday the American Medical Association (AMA), the largest association of physicians and medical students in the nation, adopted two new policies recognizing the need for better provider education about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). First approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012, PrEP is a once-daily pill regimen that can keep someone HIV-negative. However, PrEP uptake has been frustratingly slow in the U.S., due in part to low levels of awareness among doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. According to a 2015 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three primary care doctors and nurses haven’t even heard about PrEP.

READING RAINBOW

The Huffington Post explains why we need LGBTQ Pride now more than ever; Valley Central highlights the story of 10-year-old transgender boy Benjamin Alder; The New York Times stresses that it’s time to stand with LGBTQ Americans; Pink News reports on the first anti-trans protest calling for a “bathroom bill” in the UK; Vice updates the fight for marriage equality in Bermuda; and Gay Times introduces us to the pro-equality Archbishop of York.
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!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-june-16-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

What They Left Behind: Orlando's Pulse Shooting Memorial

www.advocate.com/crime/2016/6/15/what-they-left-behind-orlandos-pulse-shooting-memorial

Oil Spill Documentary Reveals Voice, Twisted Perspective of Orlando Killer (Video)

When Omar Mateen was a securty guard at a BP cleanup site, he sid he believed the people he worked for people wanted more oil to spill to create jobs and make money.

www.advocate.com/crime/2016/6/16/oil-spill-documentary-reveals-voice-twisted-perspective-orlando-killer-video

Atlanta Man Says He’ll Turn Two Local Gay Bars Into “The Next Orlando”

An Atlanta man is currently being investigated after tweeting that he could make two local gays bars into “the next Orlando.”

Related: Man Arrested After Vowing To ‘Come Back Orlando Style’ To ‘Take His 50’ At NY Queer Bar

The GA Voice reports that Brett Edgerton, a gay man, wrote: “TEN or Blake’s could be the next Orlando. You think I am the type to be the next ‘shooter’? Keep hating me then…”

Related: GOP Lawmaker’s Theory On Orlando Gay Club Pulse: It Isn’t A Gay Club At All

A previous tweet simply said, “You are all dead to me,” and his Twitter account’s headline (handle @BrettTEdgerton) read: “I will be the last person you will see.”

The account has now been taken down, but hundreds of people in the Atlanta community shared his tweets on Tuesday before the police ultimately got involved.

Edgerton has yet to be changed with any crime, but the investigation is ongoing.

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/i99IIr2FYhU/atlanta-man-says-hell-turn-two-local-gay-bars-next-orlando-20160616

‘Big Gay Musical’ Creator Fred Caruso Kills Himself, Leaves Lengthy Facebook Suicide Note

Off-Broadway producer and film director Fred Caruso died Monday in an apparent suicide in Las Vegas at age 41, leaving behind a final farewell on the Facebook page of his 2009 film, The Big Gay Musical.

Caruso, who was also involved with creating the Off-Broadway hit Newsical, said in the note that he had found peace before his death. He also details the years of inner turmoil he’s endured, and that he’d attempted suicide just one week earlier by taking 30 Ambien.

In the note, he reiterates that he was confident in his decision to take his own life, after trying his best to “deal with this.” He also asks if anyone wishes to take action, to send a donation to the Trevor Project, “where they help people that can helped.”

You can read the full note below:

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/2jP8YTEVVI8/big-gay-musical-creator-fred-caruso-kills-leaves-lengthy-facebook-suicide-note-20160616

Melissa Etheridge Debuts ‘Pulse’, a Vital Musical Response to Orlando – LISTEN

Melissa Etheridge wrote a new song with producer Jerry Wonda on Monday, following Sunday’s massacre in Orlando, and plans to donate proceeds from the track, called “Pulse”, also the name of the nightclub where the shooting took place, to an as yet unspecified LGBT charity.

She spoke with Rolling Stone about writing the track:

“I’m dealing with it the way I deal, which is, I wrote a song,” she said. “I just sat here, and I just started writing a song… That’s how I first started to cope because, as a singer songwriter, I feel very… I’ve done this before. I feel called to speak; to do what musicians do. We’ve been the town criers for hundreds of years. We’re mirrors of society. We want to try to make sense. We want to try to heal. We want to bring some meaning, some purpose. We also want to put it down forever in history. That’s how I’m coping.”

Etheridge also posted the lyrics to Facebook:

PULSE (LOVE WILL ALWAYS WIN)
Everybody’s got a pain inside
Imaginary wounds they fight to hide
How can I hate them
When everybody’s got a pulse

(photo via Facebook)

The post Melissa Etheridge Debuts ‘Pulse’, a Vital Musical Response to Orlando – LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad.

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Utah Lt. Governor Responds After Apology to LGBTQ Community Goes Viral – WATCH

More than 1,000 people gathered in downtown Salt Lake City on Monday for a vigil in support of the Orlando victims. Utah Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox was one of the speakers, and he gave a moving and heartfelt speech that surprised a lot of people. The speech has since gone viral.

Cox is a Republican who endorsed Ted Cruz for president, and who comes from a deep red state — one of 12 states suing the Obama administration over the transgender bathroom directive. He was never really an ally of the LGBTQ community, but the horror in Orlando made his heart change.

Just catching up to the tragedy this morning. Devastating. Please love. Just love. Always love.

— Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) June 12, 2016

Cox was invited to the vigil by openly gay Utah State Senator Jim Dabakis and he seemed genuinely thankful to be there. He started by telling the crowd that he wanted to apologize to the LGBTQ community.

There were some kids in my class that were different. Sometimes I wasn’t kind to them. I didn’t know it at the time, but I know now that they were gay. I will forever regret not treating them with the kindness, dignity and respect — the love — that they deserved. For that, I sincerely and humbly apologize.

Over the intervening years, my heart has changed. It has changed because of you. It has changed because I have gotten to know many of you. You have been patient with me. You helped me learn the right letters of the alphabet in the right order even though you keep adding new ones. You have been kind to me. Jim Dabakis even told me I dressed nice once, even though I know he was lying. You have treated me with the kindness, dignity, and respect — the love — that I very often did NOT deserve. And it has made me love you.

He said that he we are not at a crossroad of “hate and terror,” and that there’s no easy solution for it. But we need to try and find one together, leaving politics out of it. “Today we need fewer Republicans and fewer Democrats. Today we need more Americans.” And he ended the powerful 9-minute speech with a call-to-action:

And so may we leave today, with a resolve to be a little kinder. May we try to listen more and talk less. May we forgive someone that has wronged us. And perhaps, most importantly, try to love someone that is different than us. For my straight friends, might I suggest starting with someone who is gay.

Cox appeared on Andrea Mitchell Reports on Thursday to discuss the viral response to his speech on Monday in the wake of the Orlando shooting.

Said Cox, “I didn’t want it to be a political speech. I wanted to share what was in my heart.” He added, “I think it’s pretty sad that a speech by a Lieutenant Governor in Utah is getting this much attention just by saying we should love each other. How low is the bar in our country?”

You can read the full transcript from KSL and check out the video below:

Also, watch video of Cox speaking to Andrea Mitchell on Thursday, below.

The post Utah Lt. Governor Responds After Apology to LGBTQ Community Goes Viral – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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