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#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: June 8, 2016
HILLARY CLINTON’S HISTORIC VICTORY MARKS A MILESTONE FOR EQUALITY: Following news of Hillary Clinton’s New Jersey primary win last night, HRC President Chad Griffin hailed her historic victory, saying “Hillary Clinton made history tonight in more ways than one. As the first woman to secure the nomination of a major political party, she has shattered barriers that have persisted since this country’s founding. She has also laid out the most ambitious agenda for LGBTQ equality that our nation has ever seen from a presidential candidate. With Donald Trump threatening to roll back all the progress our community has made under President Obama, the stakes for millions of LGBTQ Americans couldn’t be higher in this election — and our choice on November 8 couldn’t be clearer.” Secretary Clinton has made LGBTQ equality a pillar of her campaign — and her detailed LGBTQ policy platform specifically calls for dropping the ban on open transgender military service, outlawing dangerous “conversion therapy” for minors, ending the epidemic of transgender violence and supporting HIV prevention and affordable treatment, among other proposals that would advance equality. Clinton’s agenda and record of achievement starkly contrasts that of Donald Trump, who has vowed to roll back and block LGBTQ equality at every turn.
- Clinton racked up primary wins last night in California, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota, locking down 2,755 pledged and superdelegates, 571 more than needed to secure the nomination. She took the big prize of California with more than 56 percent of the vote.
GOP SEN. MARK KIRK RESCINDS ENDORSEMENT OF “UN-AMERICAN” TRUMP: Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), in a powerful statement yesterday, became the first Republican senator seeking reelection to withdraw support from GOP presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump. Coincidentally parts of Kirk’s statement aligned with one of the most shared lines of Hillary Clinton’s speech, saying: “I have spent my life building bridges and tearing down barriers — not building walls… Donald Trump’s latest statements, in context with past attacks on Hispanics, women and the disabled like me, make it certain that I cannot and will not support my party’s nominee for President…”
- Meanwhile, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, who signed the state’s notoriously anti-LGBTQ HB2 into law, endorsed Trump, who has vowed to roll back marriage equality, enable Kim Davis-style discrimination and support HB2’s discriminatory provisions. Read more about yesterday’s endorsement at WRAL.
AND THE AWARD FOR BEST HB2 FACT-CHECK GOES TO… INDY Week has given HRC the “award for the best HB2 fact-check” for calling out NC Senator Phil Berger’s lies in the letter he sent to corporate leaders defending his discriminatory HB2 law. The letter, sent just before the state legislature returned to session, inherently acknowledged what an economic disaster HB2 has been for the state as companies looked to protect their employees and consumers from discrimination and harm. It also contained the worst of the lies and misinformation Senator Berger has been peddling since HB2 was enacted. HRC took the liberty of redlining Senator Berger’s letter with the truth in what INDY Week says was a “wonderfully snarky fashion.” We’ll gladly take the props for that.
ROY MOORE’S LATEST STALLING TACTICS: Yesterday, disgraced Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice continued his reckless pattern of delaying justice and skirting the law, by engaging in stall tactics to delay responding to charges by the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission. Moore was suspended last month over his defiance of federal marriage equality rulings and given 30 days to respond. In typical fashion however, he asked for a two-week extension to respond, and the request was granted yesterday by Michael Joiner, chief judge of Alabama’s Court of the Judiciary. For more than a year, Moore has attempted to deny same-sex couples their constitutional right to marry. This extension does not change the facts — Moore is unfit to serve and should be permanently removed from the Court. More from AL.com.
- Speaking of stalling, businessman, lifelong Republican and former U.S. Ambassador Earle I. Mack (appointed by President George W. Bush) urged Republican leaders yesterday to do their job and confirm Judge Merrick Garland, President Obama’s highly-qualified Supreme Court nominee. Mack, in a piece reprinted in a full-page ad in The New York Times, urged Republicans to “stop being the unreasonable party” by holding Garland’s nomination hostage. More from HRC.
SEASON 2 OF I AM JAZZ TO PREMIERE TODAY: HRC Youth Ambassador and transgender activist Jazz Jennings returns to television this week with today’s premiere of the second season of her TLC docu-series I Am Jazz. The show chronicles 15-year-old Jazz and her family as they navigate the unique challenges she faces as a transgender teen, including the ups and downs of entering high school and learning to drive. Viewers will see Jazz in her role as an HRC Youth Ambassador, speaking at HRC Foundation’s third annual Time to THRIVE Conference, held in February. More from HRC.
- Accidental Activists, a new film that shares Jayne Rowse and April DeBoer’s brave struggle to adopt their children and disband Michigan’s constitutional amendment that prohibited marriage equality, will be screened at HRC’s headquarters on June 21. Read more and RSVP here.
- Corey Maison, a young trans girl, shares her story of bullying, fear, ignorance — and then love and acceptance, in a powerful video going viral. More from Teen Vogue.
GAVIN GRIMM’S DISCRIMINATION CASE MAY HEAD TO THE US SUPREME COURT: Virginia’s Gloucester County School District announced in a filing yesterday that it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the discrimination case brought against the district by transgender teen Gavin Grimm. Despite the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in favor of Grimm, the district is now asking the appeals court to put its ruling on hold and keep the district’s discriminatory policy in place while the Supreme Court petition is pending. The ACLU, which filed the case on behalf of Grimm, opposes the request and will file its own response to the request.
KESHA CREATES LGBTQ MAGIC AT DISNEY WORLD: Kesha helped create some magic during her performance at Disney World last weekend. The pop star, who has been a fierce advocate for LGBTQ equality, helped orchestrate a surprise, on-stage engagement for two of her gay fans (he said yes!). “If you don’t support equal rights, then we have nothing in common,” Kesha declared after the proposal. “Only love here please!” More from The Huffington Post.
- Weird Al Yankovic has also taken a stand for LGBTQ equality, announcing that he will donate proceeds from his June 18 show in Greensboro, NC, to HRC.
NBA CELEBRATES PRIDE MONTH: All 30 of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) teams have released a limited edition LGBTQ Pride month shirt. The shirts feature each team’s logo colored with a rainbow design. The two-week campaign comes days after the NBA clarified that they are “deeply concerned” about North Carolina’s discriminatory HB2 law, which could compromise the league’s plan to host its 2017 All-Star game in Charlotte. More from Forbes.
READING RAINBOW
The Washington Blade lays out how a Donald Trump presidency would undermine LGBTQ rights… TIME reviews a new documentary about a relationship between two gay Iraqi soldiers… ThinkProgress breaks down Rep. Steve King’s latest anti-LGBTQ attack… The New York Times asks “Is it okay to take a gender non-conforming child to North Carolina?”… Meet the Texas A&M professor who believes an email from an LGBTQ group is “a form of sexual harassment”… and The Advocate breaks down the reason Senator Lindsey Graham dumped Trump.
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!
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