#AM_Equality Tipsheet: November 1, 2019

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: November 1, 2019

NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW — U.S. HOUSE PASSES RESOLUTION TO FORMALIZE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INTO TRUMP: The House voted Thursday 232-196 to adopt the resolution. “We come here to do the work, make the future better for our children, for America’s future,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) told reporters. “We take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and that’s what we cannot ignore and will not ignore when the president’s behavior indicates that that investigation, that inquiry, is necessary.” More from NPR.  

No one is above the law, including the President. This is an important step in the impeachment inquiry of serious allegations of conduct that compromises national security, the constitutional process, and the integrity of our electoral framework. t.co/CvsZMWKGkB

— Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid) October 31, 2019

2,000+ PARENTS AND ADVOCATES SIGN LETTER SUPPORTING TRANS YOUTH AMID DANGEROUS RHETORIC IN TEXAS: Following abhorrent anti-trans remarks from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the Human Rights Campaign and 2,000+ parents, families and advocates joined an open letter to Sen. Cruz, condemning his harmful language and supporting the rights of trans youth to access medically recommended care. In the letter, they write: “As parents of transgender and non-binary children, we’ve become all-too-familiar with the danger that can come if a child is unable to express their deeply-held gender identity…the nation’s leading medical organizations…have made clear that access to gender-affirming care is essential to well-being.” More from the Dallas Morning News.

  •  Stand united for transgender children — parents/caregivers of transgender and non-binary children interested can sign onto the letter here

FRIDAY FEATURE — MOTHER JONES GOES INSIDE SHEILA BYNUM-COLEMAN’S CAMPAIGN TO UNSEAT ANTI-LGBTQ VA HOUSE SPEAKER KIRK COX: “I’m running against the most powerful Republican in the state of Virginia, and this election is going to impact people’s lives,” said Bynum-Coleman (@sheilaforva). “When I knock on people’s doors and they tell me they need me to win, that’s not something I take lightly. That’s big to me.” More from Matt Cohen (@Matt_D_Cohen) at Mother Jones

HRC HONORS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH 2019: As communities across the U.S. gather to honor Native American Heritage Month, we must center the lives and stories of LGBTQ and two-spirit Native American people at the heart of our movement. More from HRC

HRC MARKS NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH TO SUPPORT LGBTQ YOUTH: National Adoption Month is a nationwide initiative to raise awareness about the need for permanent families for children and youth awaiting adoption in the U.S. foster care system. More from HRC

THREE THINGS LGBTQ PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW AS ACA OPEN ENROLLMENT BEGINS TODAY: The open enrollment period for 2020 health insurance through the Affordable Care Act runs through December 15. More from HRC

GET CULTURED – Entertainment, arts and sports news!

VIDA’S TANYA SARACHO (@TanyaSaracho) & POSE’S MJ RODRIGUEZ  (@MjRodriguez7) ON CHANGING THE LGBTQ NARRATIVE IN MEDIA: “Immigrant and brown members of the LGBTQIA+ community have often been left out of not only the celebrations, of the commissions, but of the narrative in the media, in the industry, in this country. Of me being up here, I think the tide is changing,” Saracho told Variety. More from Variety.

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

ANTI-LGBTQ U.S. ACTIVISTS ORGANIZE CONFERENCE IN GHANA: This week, the World Congress of Families is holding a regional conference in Accra, Ghana, where U.S. anti-LGBTQ activists will advance their dangerous vision of the so-called “natural family.HRC condemns efforts by the World Congress of Families to further endanger LGBTQ people, women and others in Ghana and throughout the world. More from HRC.

UGANDAN DOCTOR UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ALLEGED ASSAULT OF LGBTQ PATIENT: Members of the Ugandan LGBTQ community say they risk physical attacks in their daily lives, particularly in the context of a recent spate of targeted murders and other violence in the country, and routinely encounter harassment and prejudice in employment, housing and healthcare. More from The Guardian

READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
The Advocate shares a thoughtful piece on lessons a gay dad learned from being a parent

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

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-november-1-2019?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

LISTEN: Sam Smith releases a cover of ‘I Feel Love’

LISTEN: Sam Smith releases a cover of ‘I Feel Love’

Sam Smith

Singer Sam Smith has surprised fans by releasing a version of the Donna Summer classic, “I Feel Love”.

The singer has spent 2019 living their best queer life. Besides enjoying global hits with the likes of “Dancing With A Stranger” and “How Do You Sleep”, they revealed themselves as non-binary and genderqueer earlier in the year and asked people to use they/them pronouns in reference to them.

Related: Watch Sam Smith shake their ‘disco tits’

Recent social media posts have shown Smith in the studio working on their next album. They teased fans yesterday that something big was due to happen today.

View this post on Instagram

TOMORROW

A post shared by Sam Smith (@samsmith) on

Then at midnight, they dropped the new track.

“As a queer person ‘I feel love’ has followed me to every dance floor in every queer space from the minute I started clubbing,” they said on Instagram.

“This song to me is an anthem of our community and it was an honour and most importantly so much fun to have a go at it. Highest song I’ve ever fucking sang. But a joy. I hope you all like it xx”

Click the link to hear a snippet of the track. The whole song is streaming now on Spotify, iTunes Music, and other streaming services.

Related: Sam Smith poses and dances in briefs… because body positivity

“I Feel Love”, sung by Donna Summer and produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, was originally released in 1977. The track went top ten in the US and hit number one in the UK, Australia, and other countries. It is regarded as a disco classic and electronic dance music’s first smash hit. It’s not hyperbole to say it changed dance music forever.

www.queerty.com/listen-sam-smith-releases-cover-feel-love-20191101?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Elizabeth Warren Reveals How Her $52 Trillion ‘Medicare for All’ Plan Will Be Paid For

Elizabeth Warren Reveals How Her $52 Trillion ‘Medicare for All’ Plan Will Be Paid For

Elizabeth Warren today revealed how she’ll pay for her $52 trillion Medicare For All health care in a comprehensive plan released on Friday. Read the plan HERE.

Politico reports: “The plan relies on an expected mix of tax increases on the wealthy, deep cuts to military spending and payments to doctors, projected savings from a more streamlined national system, payments from employers who would no longer have to provide health care to their workers and — the heaviest lift — comprehensive immigration reform. The proposal was outlined and evaluated for the campaign by several prominent economists and former government officials.”

Warren explained the plan on Twitter:

Health care costs are rising and crushing families. And a serious diagnosis can financially ruin a middle-class family even if they have insurance. We let private insurance and drug companies profit from that pain. Enough. We need a system that reflects our values.

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019

#MedicareForAll finally brings true choice to the health care system. The choice to see the doctor you want, to get the prescriptions you need, pick the job or start that small business you want without worrying about where your health insurance will come from.

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019

Let’s get to the math! (All backed up by independent experts and economists.) First, we’re going to rein in the waste, inefficiency, and corporate profiteering by insurance and drug companies. And we’ll bring down out-of-control costs.

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019

How is it paid for? Well, if you’re not in the top 1%, Wall Street, or a big corporation—congratulations, you don’t pay a penny more and you’re fully covered by #MedicareForAll.

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019

We cover the remaining $11 trillion largely with taxes on big corporations, Wall Street, and the top 1%—and enforcing the tax laws we have now. Add in a targeted cut to a Defense Dept slush fund and that’s it. You’ll find full details in my plan here: t.co/N0Ai7TayJD

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019

I am fighting for #MedicareForAll. I have the only detailed plan to pay for it. And we are the only Democratic primary campaign that has laid out the true, full costs of any health care plan, Medicare for All or otherwise. I look forward to others doing the same.

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019

The post Elizabeth Warren Reveals How Her $52 Trillion ‘Medicare for All’ Plan Will Be Paid For appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Elizabeth Warren Reveals How Her $52 Trillion ‘Medicare for All’ Plan Will Be Paid For

Three Things LGBTQ People Should Know As Open Enrollment Begins

Three Things LGBTQ People Should Know As Open Enrollment Begins

Today marks the beginning of the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act, which runs from November 1 through December 15. If you don’t have insurance through your job, Medicare, Medicaid or another source, then you’ll want to sign-up for health coverage through the ACA.

The ACA provides unprecedented federal protections for countless Americans, including LGBTQ people, who faced discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity before the law’s implementation. 

Despite the countless efforts by Donald Trump, Mike Pence and Republican leadership in Congress, the ACA still remains the law of the land. 

Here are three things LGBTQ people should know about why it matters to get covered:

1. Under the Affordable Care Act, state marketplaces, health plans and their employees are prohibited from discriminating against LGBTQ people. And insurers can’t charge more if you have a pre-existing condition, such as HIV or cancer.

2. Access to affordable health insurance not only provides access to care, but can help address health disparities that currently exist in the LGBTQ community and provide critical preventative care.

3. The ACA has greatly expanded transition-related health care coverage even to people who are not in ACA marketplace plans. For example, insurers cannot limit or deny coverage for services used for gender transition when those services would normally be covered when treating a non-transition related health condition. Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act requires plans to provide all sex-specific preventative services available that are medically appropriate. This means that under the ACA a plan can’t limit a preventative service like a pap smear, mammogram or prostate exam, based on an individual’s sex assigned at birth, gender identity or their recorded gender. 

Learn more about open enrollment here. Note: six states and Washington, D.C., have extended open enrollment beyond Dec. 15. Check with your state marketplace for details.

Even if you have insurance, talk with your friends and family who don’t and make sure they get the information they need to get covered.

Don’t wait; head to healthcare.gov today!

www.hrc.org/blog/three-things-lgbtq-people-should-know-as-open-enrollment-begins?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed