#AM_Equality Tipsheet: August 29, 2017
#ProtectTransTroops — HRC IS PLAINTIFF IN LAWSUIT AGAINST TRUMP’S TRANS MILITARY BAN: HRC, represented by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN, became a plaintiff along with Gender Justice League and transgender individuals affected by the action, in a federal lawsuit challenging the White House directive that interferes in Department of Defense personnel policy by pushing forward the Trump-Pence’s transgender military ban. “Our military is stronger when any qualified American willing to defend our country is able to serve, regardless of their gender identity,” said HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride). “It is an unconscionable and unconstitutional breach of trust for the president to single out brave transgender service members and able recruits for discrimination. The harm that this administration is causing to both these courageous Americans and our national security must be stopped. We are proud to be a plaintiff on behalf of our transgender members currently serving or wishing to enlist or commission, but who find their careers and their future under attack – and we thank all of the plaintiffs, Lambda Legal and Outserve-SLDN for their leadership in challenging this dangerous directive.” More from HRC, Metro Weekly, Washington Blade, HuffPost, The Hill, NPR and Politico.
- The named plaintiff is Ryan Karnoski, a transgender man and social worker from Seattle. More from KIRO.
- A powerful USA Today piece by Army veteran Rob Cuthbert calls on Defense Secretary Mattis to stand against this discrimination. Read the full piece from USA Today.
- The Palm Center has identified six forms of discrimination that the anti-transgender directive mandates. Read the full report here.
OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH THOSE AFFECTED BY THE DISASTER IN TEXAS — HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO HELP: The LGBTQ community in Houston is stepping up, with both the Montrose Center, the city’s LGBTQ community center, and the Houston-based Transgender Foundation of America establishing funds for victims of the flooding, reports Lou Chibbaro Jr. of the Washington Blade. A comprehensive list of national and local organizations assisting people affected by the disaster, and guidance on how to donate, is provided by The New York Times.
TUESDAY TWEET — ICYMI, HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JOE ARPAIO: The Phoenix New Times, which has covered the racist Joe Arpaio for more than 20 years, tweeted out his long, grotesque record of violating the civil rights of Maricopa County’s Latinx population, and carrying out a hate-filled agenda through extreme racial profiling. By pardoning Arpaio, Trump is again aligning himself with his nationalist, racist, anti-LGBTQ supporters — in the wake of the violent extremism in Charlottesville. During his tenure, Arpaio has attacked nearly every marginalized community, including using anti-LGBTQ schemes to humiliate inmates at his ‘Tent City’ prison. Read more here.
We’ve been covering Joe Arpaio for more than 20 years. Here’s a couple of things you should know about him… 1/many
— PhoenixNewTimes (@phoenixnewtimes) August 26, 2017
FEDERAL JUDGE UPHOLDS TRANSGENDER-INCLUSIVE SCHOOL POLICIES: The decision came in a lawsuit filed by four students who unsuccessfully argued that the Boyertown (Pa.) Area School District’s policy, which allows transgender students to use facilities aligned with their gender identity, is an “invasion of privacy.” More from WFMZ.
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR SIGNS TWO PRO-EQUALITY BILLS: Republican Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law measures banning so-called “gay panic” defenses in criminal proceedings and simplifying the process of changing the gender listed on one’s birth certificate. More from The Chicago Tribune.
GUIDANCE FOR JUDGES INTERACTING WITH LGBTQ PEOPLE: The new resource, produced by the National Center of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), the National Juvenile Defender Center and the State Justice Institute, lays out best practices for judges interacting with LGBTQ people in the courtroom. More from the NCJFCJ.
WASHINGTON BLADE RELEASES SPECIAL EDITION ON SPORTS: It includes a piece by Ashland Johnson (@AshlandJ11), HRC Foundation’s Director of Public Education and Research. She breaks down the value of sports as a tool for equality and the need for further LGBTQ inclusion in sports. Read it in the Washington Blade.
THOUSANDS RALLY FOR AUSTRALIAN MARRIAGE EQUALITY: The Melbourne rally broke records as one of the largest for LGBTQ equality in the country. More from The Advocate.
Same-sex marriage advocates gather in Melbourne’s CBD as part of a rally in support of a ‘Yes’ vote in the upcoming postal survey. #9News pic.twitter.com/ARuJIp4A1I
— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) August 26, 2017
CHILEAN PRESIDENT INTRODUCES MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL TO CONGRESS: “We do this with the certainty that it is not ethical nor fair to put artificial limits on love, nor to deny essential rights just because of the sex of those who make up a couple,” Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said of the bill. More from Reuters.
READING RAINBOW
BuzzFeed asks readers to share their best advice for people who identify outside of the gender binary; U.S. News & World Report gives tips for finding LGBTQ-friendly law schools.
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