Stephen Colbert Interviews Beto O’Rourke, the Democrat Giving Ted Cruz the Scare of His Political Career in Texas: WATCH

Stephen Colbert sat down with Beto O’Rourke (above), the Democratic congressman giving Ted Cruz a run for his money for his U.S. Senate seat.

O’Rourke explained his name “Beto” before talking about the wall and immigration, two of Texas’s biggest issues.

Added O’Rourke: “We don’t need walls. We can have smart security solutions….People are coming out at this moment of truth. They’re going to help us decide as a country, are we a nation of walls? Will we ban all Muslims or all people of one religion? Will we describe the press as the ‘enemy of the people’? Will we take kids away from their parents when they’re trying to claim asylum, fleeing from the most brutal countries in this hemisphere, if not the planet?”

Ahead of his interview, Colbert ran a look at Beto’s background.

Explained Colbert: “Beto is running in Texas against incumbent senator and man whose campaign staff is definitely watching this show right now, Ted Cruz.”

Watch:

The post Stephen Colbert Interviews Beto O’Rourke, the Democrat Giving Ted Cruz the Scare of His Political Career in Texas: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Stephen Colbert Interviews Beto O’Rourke, the Democrat Giving Ted Cruz the Scare of His Political Career in Texas: WATCH

HRC Announces Slate of Pro-Equality Endorsements in Ohio State Legislature

HRC announced its endorsement of eight pro-equality candidates in the Ohio State Legislature.

“For too long, anti-equality politicians have held our state back, failing the majority of Ohioans who support fairness, equality and protections for the LGBTQ community. It is critical that we invest in fair-minded, pro-equality candidates up and down the ticket, who are committed to moving equality forward,” said HRC Ohio State Director Shawn Copeland. “With a pro-equality majority, we can finally pass state level non-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community, ensure transgender people are no longer barred from changing the gender marker on their birth certificates, and expand hate crimes protections to include LGBTQ Ohioans. For the past year, HRC has been on the ground working hard to turn out Equality Voters and elect a pro-equality majority in the state legislature that will fight to defend the rights and dignity of all Ohioans.”

In the Ohio State Senate, HRC has endorsed Louise Valentine in the open Senate District 19 race. In the Ohio State Assembly, HRC has endorsed Mary Lightbody Sherwood for House District 19; Beth Liston for House District 21; Allison Russo for House District 24; Casey Weinstein for House District 37; Jeremy Blake for House District 71; and Taylor Sappington for House District 94.  HRC also endorsed Nickie Antonio in Senate District 23 prior to her primary victory in May.

Ohio is one of 30 states in the country that lack explicit state-level protections for all LGBTQ people. With a pro-equality majority, the Ohio State Legislature could finally pass the Ohio Fairness Act. First introduced by State Rep. Nickie Antonio in 2009, this crucial legislation that would bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in areas of employment, housing and public accommodations in Ohio. The Fairness Act had its first ever committee hearing on January 31, but has since stalled in the Ohio House. During the most recent legislative session, there have been attempts to roll back progress including through the introduction of legislation that would force teachers to out transgender students.

HRC has also endorsed pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot, including Richard Cordray for Governor, Steve Dettlebach for Attorney General, Kathleen Clyde for Secretary of State, Rob Richardson for State Treasurer, Zack Space for State Auditor, U.S Senator Sherrod Brown, U.S. Reps. Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) and Tim Ryan (OH-12), and Aftab Pureval (OH-01), Danny O’Connor (OH-12), Betsy Rader (OH-14), and Rick Neal (OH-15) for Congress.

In Ohio, HRC has identified more than 1.5 million “Equality Voters” — voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Ohio in the 2018 cycle, and has staff and resources on the ground in the state. Last year, HRC announced a coast-to-coast campaign called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-announces-pro-equality-endorsements-in-ohio-state-legislature?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

NH GOP House Nominee Steve Negron Explains Why He Supports Torturing Gay Kids with ‘Conversion Therapy’ – WATCH

New Hampshire GOP House nominee Steve Negron told WMUR, the state’s largest TV station, that he supports harmful gay conversion therapy, aka “ex-gay” torture.

Said Negron, a state lawmaker, to WMUR, defending his vote against a ban on the practice: “I did not vote for that. I believe that’s something that, when you look at these young children that are trying to make a decision, and I remember when I was 15-16 I was confused, I had a lot of options in my life. I think we need to be able to help them understand what it is, give them the right information, and let them get the treatment that they need to understand what the situation is, and I think the parents have a huge role in that as well.”

The post NH GOP House Nominee Steve Negron Explains Why He Supports Torturing Gay Kids with ‘Conversion Therapy’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

NH GOP House Nominee Steve Negron Explains Why He Supports Torturing Gay Kids with ‘Conversion Therapy’ – WATCH

Human Rights Campaign Endorses Pro-Equality Candidate Gretchen Whitmer for Michigan Governor

HRC announced its endorsement of Gretchen Whitmer for Michigan Governor. In November, Whitmer will face Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who has a long record demonizing and attacking the LGBTQ community.

“Gretchen Whitmer is the clear choice for Michiganders and the champion we need to move equality forward in the Great Lakes State,” said HRC Michigan State Director Amritha Venkataraman. “She’s dedicated her career to fighting for Michigan’s working families and ensuring that every Michigander — no matter who they are — has the same rights, liberties and opportunities. HRC is proud to endorse her candidacy for governor and we look forward to turning out Michigan’s 300,000 LGBTQ voters for her this November.”

“I’m ready to partner with the Human Rights Campaign and everyone who wants to build a better Michigan for everyone,” said Whitmer. “That starts with expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to ban discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, because nobody should lose their job or be evicted from their home because of who they are or who they love. That’s how we’ll attract a talented workforce and make Michigan a state where everyone has a path to a high wage job, has access to quality, affordable health care, and can travel our roads safely. Let’s get it done.”

As governor, Gretchen Whitmer will work tirelessly to address the issues of Michigan’s working families and be a stalwart champion for the LGBTQ community. As a state senator, she led the passage of an anti-bullying bill to protect Michigan’s LGBTQ youth, and fought to pass legislation that would provide benefits to same-sex partners of public employees in Michigan, prior to nationwide marriage equality. She sponsored legislation to expand Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and has committed to prioritizing this legislation as governor. HRC has also endorsed Garlin Gilchrist for Lieutenant Governor who has a long history of supporting equality.

In the general election, Whitmer will face anti-LGBTQ extremist Bill Schuette. As Michigan Attorney General, Schuette filed suit to oppose protections for LGBTQ youth facing discrimination and bullying in schools, and supported a license to discriminate in mental health care. He also wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in a crusade to stop marriage equality, and recently chose to ignore consistent legal precedent in issuing a formal opinion denying that LGBTQ Michiganders are protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity under the state Civil Rights Act.

In Michigan, HRC has identified more than 1.1 million Michiganders as likely “Equality Voters” — voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies. HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Michigan in the 2018 cycle, and has staff and resources on the ground in the state as part of the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-endorses-pro-equality-candidate-gretchen-whitmer-for-gov?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Scruff Wants to End the Days of ‘No Asians’ or ‘Only Latinos’

The company’s CEO describes how he’s working to end racial profiling on the hook-up app. 

www.advocate.com/commentary/2018/9/13/scruff-wants-end-days-no-asians-or-only-latinos

HRC Mourns Londonn Moore, the Fifth Black Trans Woman Killed in Florida This Year

HRC mourns the loss of Londonn Moore, who was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds in a remote area of North Port, Florida, on Saturday morning. Moore, 20, is the fifth Black transgender woman known to be killed in Florida in 2018.

According to local media, North Port Police Department investigators tracked down Moore’s missing vehicle in nearby Port Charlotte, and say they believe that the suspect may have driven the car there from the crime scene.

Because Moore was misgendered in initial reports, HRC was not made aware of her death until it was reported several days later by transgender advocate Monica Roberts.

Moore is remembered by her family and other loved ones, who described her as “hilarious” and someone who “made everyone laugh all the time.” Her public social media reflect a playful young woman who followed several R&B, hip-hop and rap artists.

Unfortunately, North Port police and multiple media outlets continue to misgender and misname Moore — even after being made aware of her transgender identity. Moreover, some representatives have explicitly refused to refer to Moore by her correct names and pronouns, using the problematic justification that they do not match her legal name and driver’s license. LGBTQ blogger Sue Kerr notes that some outlets continue to feature old photos of Moore from before she transitioned, instead of recent photos that Moore publicly posted online.

While the process for official name changes varies by jurisdiction, several states impose significant barriers to requesting gender marker changes on driver’s licenses. In Florida, where Moore resided, updating this information requires a court order and written approval from a certified medical provider.

The denial of identity by government agencies, media and others is unfortunately emblematic of the callous and disrespectful treatment that transgender individuals too often face in our society. We must all work to build a society that fully affirms and embraces the diverse spectrum of all gender identities, especially in light of the alarming violence that disproportionately impacts this community — and especially transgender women of color. In the pursuit of accuracy and respect, HRC offers guidelines for journalists and others who report on transgender and gender expansive people.

Tragically, Moore’s death marks the 20th known killing of a transgender or gender expansive person in 2018. Alarmingly, it is also the fourth known killing of a Black trans woman in the last two weeks alone, following the deaths of Vontashia Bell of Shreveport, Louisiana; Dejanay Stanton of Chicago; and Shantee Tucker of Philadelphia.

Last fall, the HRC Foundation and the Trans People of Color Coalition released a comprehensive report detailing this tragic epidemic that made 2017 the deadliest year on record for transgender people. If this disturbing trend continues, 2018 may soon see more reported lives lost than in the previous year.

To learn more about HRC’s transgender justice work, visit hrc.org/Transgender.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-mourns-londonn-moore-the-fifth-black-trans-woman-killed-in-florida-this?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed