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#AM_Equality Tipsheet: May 11, 2018
“HE IS A TITANIC–AND I MEAN TITANIC–FRAUD”: Republican advisor Steve Schmidt went on an epic rant against Mike Pence yesterday on MSNBC following George Will’s scathing op-ed referring to the vice president as “America’s most repulsive figure.” Schmidt was no less critical: “We’ve listened to this guy for many, many years on his moral high horse. Assaulting the dignity of gay people across the board. His moral preening is famous throughout the land, yet he is the most obsequious of all of Trump’s cultists in the cabinet…. We have never seen such slobbering servility by a high government official in this country than we do with Mike Pence.” Check out the full clip here, and read HRC’s take on “The Real Mike Pence”.
NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGISLATURE PASSES BAN ON SO-CALLED CONVERSION THERAPY: The measure will now go to the desk of Gov. Chris Sununu. HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof: “This dangerous practice has no basis in science and is uniformly rejected by every major medical and mental health organization in the country. We thank the state legislators who voted to protect LGBTQ youth. Governor Sununu now must sign this crucially important legislation.” Read more from HRC, and more information on the lies and dangers of efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity can be found here.
.@HRC calls on #NewHampshire @GovChrisSununu to sign #HB587, protecting LGBTQ youth in the state from the dangerous and debunked practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” #NHPolitics t.co/OpbY27Tjqj pic.twitter.com/EcMslagn44
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 10, 2018
U.S. SENATE CONFIRMS EXTREME JUDGE, BYPASSING “BLUE SLIP” TRADITION: Yesterday, the Senate confirmed Michael Brennan, the latest in the Trump-Pence administration’s line of extreme judicial nominees, after bypassing the so-called “blue slip” tradition. For decades, senators have been able to submit a “blue slip,” expressing grave concerns about nominees from their state, but this courtesy was not extended to Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy: “To ignore the blue slip tradition and silence the voice of Senator Baldwin and the millions of Wisconites she represents is not only disrespectful, but also weakens the legislative branch and strengthens the executive branch at a time when checks and balances are needed more than ever… This is a sad day for the U.S. Senate.” More from HRC.
FEEL-GOOD FRIDAY: RYAN MURPHY DONATING SHOW’S PROFITS TO LGBTQ CHARITY: The creator of Pose on FX (as well as many of your favorite shows) announced on Twitter that he will be donating all of the profits from his latest show to LGBTQ charities. The first recipient is the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which “works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence.” More from the Advocate.
CAN WE INVITE OURSELVES TO DINNER AT THIS GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE?: This week, a Twitter user, @MinovskyArticle, shared the most perfect clapback delivered by their 88-year-old grandmother when another family member was talking about LGBTQ identities being “confusing.” According to the tweet, she responded, “The way things are now is better than when people had to hide away or killed themselves because nobody understood who they were. Respect costs you nothing.” Can we come over for dinner? We’ll bring fruit salad!
Dad ranted about how LGBTQIA+ identities were getting too confusing to keep up with, my 88 year old grandma shut him down. “The way things are now is better than when people had to hide away or killed themselves because nobody understood who they were. Respect costs you nothing.”
— Minovsky (@MinovskyArticle) May 6, 2018
HRC MOURNS KARLA PATRICIA FLORES-PAVON, TRANS WOMAN MURDERED IN DALLAS: Flores-Pavón, a young transgender woman of color, was found dead in her apartment on May 9. The Dallas Voice writes that police confirmed she was choked to death. Few details are known about the crime, and the police investigation is ongoing. Friends and allies took to social media to mourn her death, many of them posting in Spanish. “It hurts a lot, you were a good-hearted person,” said Gia York Herrera, in a translated Facebook post. “Sister, fly high. We will remember you with love. Your beautiful smile will stay with us.” Flores-Pavón’s death is the ninth known homicide of a transgender person this year, and the second known homicide of a transgender Latinx person. More at HRC, and in Spanish here.
DISTURBING: MASS. GOV. HOPEFUL PENNED OFFENSIVE ANTI-LGBTQ BOOK: Scott Lively, who’s vying for the governorship in Massachusetts, wrote a book titled “The Pink Swastika,” claiming that LGBTQ people were responsible for the Holocaust. Lively, who is not polling well in the race, founded an anti-LGBTQ hate group and is, clearly, utterly unfit to serve the public in any capacity. More from Newsweek.
AMERICAN MILITARY PARTNER ASSOCIATION HOLDS ANNUAL GALA THIS WEEKEND: AMPA, the nation’s largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military families and their allies, will be holding its fifth annual Gala on Saturday in Washington, DC. “Everything is focused on celebrating and honoring our service members and their spouses for their sacrifice, while also focusing on the challenges we have ahead,” says Ashley Broadway-Mack, the organization’s president. Read more from John Riley (@JohnAndresRiley) at Metro Weekly.
HRC ENDORSES AFTAB PUREVAL FOR CONGRESS: Pureval is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Ohio’s first Congressional District. Says HRC Ohio State Manager Shawn Copeland, “The clear choice come November, Aftab Pureval is a tenacious fighter who will be a champion for Ohio’s working families. We proudly endorse his candidacy to represent Ohio’s first Congressional District, and look forward to working with another pro-equality voice in the United States Congress.” More from HRC.
GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS
FORMER HRC GLOBAL FELLOW AND REP. DAVID CICILLINE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR ADVOCACY ON GLOBAL LGBTQ EQUALITY:
.@HRC is proud to join @centerglobal, which provides vital support for #LGBTQ asylum seekers, to recognize a former HRC Global Fellow from Bangladesh and @RepCicilline for their tireless efforts advocating for LGBTQ equality around the globe. �� pic.twitter.com/P91DtRMlTC
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 10, 2018
IRELAND MAKES WORLD SWOON AT EUROVISION: The Internet is obsessed with a gay Irish contestant whose beautiful vocals and accompanying dancers advanced him to the final round of Eurovision, the singing extravaganza of European countries. Ryan O’Shaughnessy said afterward, “My only intention was to help people see that love is just love, and there’s no difference – whether it’s between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman or a man and a man.” More from Advocate here.
- Meanwhile, CNN reports that Eurovision organizers banned a Chinese TV station from broadcasting Saturday’s finale after it censored O’Shaughnessy’s performance and another because a performer had tattoos.
HORRIFYING — NON-BINARY MODEL MURDERED IN BRAZIL: The victim is Matheusa Passarelli, an art student and model who identified as non-binary. This is the most recent of several murders of LGBTQ people in the country. More from NewNowNext.
AWFUL — THIS PROPOSED POLICY IN ALBERTA, CANADA, COULD OUT LGBTQ TEENS TO THEIR PARENTS: The policy would require schools to inform parents when their children join “extracurricular activities of a religious or sexual nature.” More from The Guardian.
GREECE VOTES TO ALLOW SAME-SEX COUPLES TO FOSTER CHILDREN: Same-sex partners who are in a civil partnership may now become foster parents, but same-sex adoption is not yet legal. Read more from Associated Press.
PORTUGUESE PRESIDENT VETOES LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ALLOW MINORS TO CHANGE THEIR GENDER ON LEGAL DOCUMENTS: Read more from ILGA Europe.
READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
People reports on Teddy Geiger’s return to the public eye since coming out as transgender; Advocate profiles the LGBTQ-inclusive photoshoot from students at Miami High; NewNowNext reports on a case in which an eighth grade student in California was forced to cover up her LGBTQ-inclusive shirt; The New York Times highlights the work of Nelson Morales, who photographs the muxe community in Mexico and found his identity as a member of the community through his photography;
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!
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