#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: June 10, 2016
POTUS IS WITH HER, AS HE HAS BEEN WITH US: President Obama formally endorsed Hillary Clinton on Thursday, the same day the administration held its final LGBTQ Pride reception at the White House. The president says he witnessed Clinton’s “commitment to our values up close” while she served as his Secretary of State, and expressed eagerness to begin campaigning for Clinton — their first joint stop is next week in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Meanwhile, LGBTQ activists, including Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage equality ruling, and new Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, the first openly-gay leader of a U.S. military service, gathered at the White House for the Pride Month event, celebrating historic LGBTQ equality gains during President Obama’s time in office.
- Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren also endorsed Clinton last night, highlighting her qualifications and pledging their help in stopping dangerous Donald Trump. Said Warren: “I’m ready to jump in this fight and make sure that Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States and be sure that Donald Trump gets nowhere near the White House.”
- Drop the mic: After Trump predictably mocked President Obama’s endorsement of Clinton, she gave the presumptive GOP presidential nominee and serial social media harasser some much-needed advice:
DESPICABLE DONALD = DISASTROUS FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY: A few reminders about Despicable Donny: 1) He vows to roll back nationwide marriage equality. 2) He would sign a law sanctioning Kim Davis-style discrimination. 3) He supports North Carolina’s vile HB2 and would do nothing to address it. 4) He would repeal President Obama’s LGBTQ-inclusive executive orders. 5) The LGBTQ community includes women, immigrants, Muslims, people of color, people with disabilities, asylum seekers and many other groups Trump has maliciously attacked for political gain. And that’s just the start of it. HRC released a new video highlighting Trump’s hateful positions.
- Roll Call covered the disaster that would be Donald in a piece yesterday, while HRC President Chad Griffin tweeted out Trump’s dangerous anti-LGBTQ positions:
GREENSBORO, NC, MAYOR AND BUSINESSES DEMAND HB2 REPEAL: At a press conference yesterday in Greensboro, NC, the state’s third-largest city, Mayor Nancy Vaughan and prominent business owners called for the repeal of HB2. Since the heinous law was passed, the Greensboro Coliseum, a major source of revenue in the state, has taken an estimated $200,000 hit in lost business. More from The Greensboro News and Record.
- NBA TV Analyst Charles Barkley says he’s considering boycotting the 2017 NBA All-Star Game if HB2 isn’t repealed, or if the game, currently scheduled to be held in Charlotte, isn’t moved out of NC. “I’ve talked to (NBA commissioner) Adam Silver; we need to move the All-Star Game. I hope they don’t put me in a situation where I have to boycott the All-Star Game,” said Barkley, a former NBA star. More from HRC.
STARBUCKS STANDS UP FOR EQUALITY AND TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: Starbucks, which has a perfect score on HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, is again taking the lead on equal treatment for the LGBTQ community. Lucy Helm, Starbucks EVP, recently sent a public letter to company employees explaining why it’s vital for the Fortune 500 Company to continue speaking out against discrimination, and reinforcing its long-term commitment to creating a welcoming space for all. Helm said that Starbucks opposes all discriminatory legislation, stressing that “In our stores, we continue to welcome partners and customers to use Starbucks facilities that correspond to their gender identity.” More from HRC.
MIAMI BEACH PROTECTS LGBTQ YOUTH FROM SO-CALLED “CONVERSION THERAPY”: On Wednesday, Miami Beach City Government voted to ban dangerous and debunked “conversion therapy” for minors, joining a growing number of jurisdictions protecting their LGBTQ youth from this quackery. Other jurisdictions with similar protections include Cincinnati, Washington D.C., California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, New York and Vermont. More from The Miami Herald.
JUDGE REJECTS TRANSGENDER MAN’S NAME AS NOT “GENDER NEUTRAL” ENOUGH: Lambda Legal has asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court judge’s denial of a transgender man’s legal name change. In a mind-boggling and discriminatory opinion, Superior Court Judge J. David Roper ruled that Rowan Elijah Feldhaus’ name was not “gender neutral” enough, asserting it could be “dangerous” if people can’t determine Feldhaus’ gender based on his name. Yes, that happened.
WILL THE INDIANA GOP SET A PRO- OR ANTI- EQUALITY AGENDA? Indiana Republicans are meeting this weekend to write their party’s platform for the next two years. The party has gone back-and-forth on its marriage equality platform position, opposing it in 2010, then removing any reference to it in 2012, and opposing it again in 2014. With marriage equality the law of the land, many in the state’s GOP are calling for a more inclusive, diverse party. More from The Journal Gazette.
READING RAINBOW
A contributor for The Washington Post shares best practices on how to be an LGBTQ ally; Variety points out the increasing number of transgender characters on television; Gay Star News looks at why terminally-ill LGBTQ people delay seeking health care; Teen Vogue introduces us to the first-ever transgender modeling agency; The Huffington Post reminds us that Donald Trump would be disastrous for the LGBTQ community; USA Today interviews HRC Youth Ambassador Jazz Jennings on LGBTQ representation in the media; NBC News makes the case for LGBTQ-inclusive education; Mother Jones asks why the census doesn’t collect data on gender identity or sexual orientation; The Sun Herald shares the story of a Mississippi teen who found the courage to live his truth; and Towleroad reports that the LGBTQ groups excluded from the UN Conference on AIDS held their own meeting in protest.
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