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#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: December 16, 2015
POPE FRANCIS MUST CONDEMN CARDINAL LOPEZ’S SHOCKING ANTI-LGBT SLURS ATTACKING US AMBASSADOR: Two weeks ago, HRC President Chad Griffin called on Pope Francis to condemn Cardinal Lopez’s anti-LGBT slurs and show that the Catholic Church won’t tolerate hate and bigotry. Yesterday, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) followed suit, sending an official letter to the Vatican calling on the Pope to speak out against the Cardinal Lopez’s public statements, saying they were out of step with the Church’s teachings. In early December, Dominican newspapers reported that Cardinal Lopez referred to U.S. Ambassador Brewster as a “wife” who “should stick to housework, since he is a man’s wife.” A few days later, Cardinal Lopez doubled down on his anti-LGBT slurs, calling Ambassador Brewster “a faggot” and saying “he should go home, he does not have to bring anything here.” HRC is calling on Pope Francis to condemn Cardinal Lopez’s anti-LGBT attacks against U.S. Ambassador Wally Brewster. More here: trib.in/1O61DSi
DOJ ISSUES GUIDANCE ADDRESSING GENDER BIAS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE POLICING: Yesterday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued new guidance “designed to help law enforcement agencies prevent gender bias in their response to sexual assault and domestic violence, highlighting the need for clear policies, robust training and responsive accountability systems.” Lesbians, bisexual women and transgender people face particularly high rates of domestic violence, along with related forms of abuse including intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Forty-four percent of lesbians and 61 percent of bisexual women experience rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 35 percent of heterosexual women. In 2013, Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act to include explicit protections for LGBT survivors. Previously, LGBT survivors were too often denied access to domestic violence services, turned away from shelters, improperly arrested as the primary aggressor and denied orders of protection because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In July, HRC joined more than 180 national, state and local groups to call on the DOJ to release guidance for law enforcement to address gender biased policing. More from DOJ here: 1.usa.gov/1T1CcWo
YET ANOTHER STORY HIGHLIGHTS MARCO RUBIO’S DISTURBING ANTI-LGBT RECORD, THIS TIME ON ADOPTION: Mark Joseph Stern of Slate shines a light on Marco Rubio’s long history of opposing equal rights for LGBT people, even when that meant turning his back on children in a brutally dysfunctional foster care system. As Stern describes, in 2006 when the Children and Family Services Department allowed foster children to live in appalling conditions due to a shortage in foster parents, Rubio would “rather see the children languish in the flawed foster care system then allow same-sex couples to take them in.” The piece is the latest in a stream of stories to catalog Rubio’s anti-LGBT record in recent weeks, from saying last weekend he has an anti-LGBT litmus test for Supreme Court judges, to his pledge to repeal President Obama’s LGBT executive orders, to telling CBN he would “never change” on marriage equality. A recent HRC poll found that 55 percent majority of voters are less likely to support a candidate for President who opposes allowing same-sex couples to marry. More of Rubio’s record here: www.hrc.org/
NEW HRC RESOURCE: WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PROVIDER SAYS “NO” TO PrEP: Yesterday, following the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) shocking report last month about the need for greater Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) use, HRC released a new resource to address some ways patients can address a PrEP-skeptical provider. When taken as prescribed by a knowledgeable healthcare provider, PrEP has been shown to be more than 90 percent effective against contracting HIV. However, one in three healthcare providers have not even heard about PrEP, which means one may encounter some resistance if your clinician doesn’t have all of the facts. Check out HRC’s newest resource, What to Do If Your Provider Says “No” to PrEP and learn more about PrEP here: bit.ly/1HzOBQB
STATE SNAPSHOT
HARMFUL ANTI-TRANS BATHROOM BILL IN WISCONSIN MAY BE REVISED: According to reports, AB 469, a harmful bill that would prevent transgender students from using appropriate gender-segregated facilities in Wisconsin schools, could be amended giving schools the option to install gender neutral bathrooms–but only if there are floor to ceiling partitions separating stalls. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the bill would also require the state Department of Justice to defend school districts in lawsuits that claim the policy is discriminatory. As opponents have expressed, AB 469 would also expose students to additional bullying, harassment and discrimination, and the revised version adds the burden of the cost of retrofitting restrooms for schools that want to be inclusive, and a lawsuit provision as the state would clearly be in conflict with federal protections for transgender and gender nonconforming students. More here: bit.ly/227gnuI and bit.ly/1QMt7S6
TRANS-INCLUSIVE POLICY COMING TO PRINCETON, NJ PUBLIC SCHOOL: Following a school board meeting last night, a new trans-inclusive policy could be coming to the Princeton Public Schools District very soon. The policy proposes several practices including allowing students to self identify with a gender identity and using the appropriate restroom facilities of their choice. School faculty and staff also would not reveal a student’s gender identity, unless the student’s safety was at risk.There’s no word yet on if and when the policy will be adopted. More here: bit.ly/1Npz9FY
JACKSONVILLE, FL HAS FINAL TOWN HALL ON POSSIBLE LGBT-INCLUSIVE ORDINANCE: Yesterday, Jacksonville held its final of three community meetings to address whether the city should extend local nondiscrimination protections to LGBT residents and visitors. Hundreds of residents came out for the meeting, which was commissioned by Republican Mayor Lenny Curry last month. During the 90 minute meeting, a six-person panel debated the impact a proposed ordinance would have on the city and took comments from attendees. Earlier that day, the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality (JCE) announced a list of almost 300 businesses that have come out in support of a fully-inclusive human rights ordinance that protects LGBT people in housing, employment and public accommodations. Over 75 faith leaders in Jacksonville have also expressed their support. HRC is a proud member of the JCE, which has been working towards passing an inclusive ordinance since a prior effort failed in 2011. Earlier this year, HRC partnered with JCE and Equality Florida to successfully elect a pro-equality majority to the Jacksonville City Council. Without protections for LGBT people in housing, employment, and public accommodations, the city currently holds a 23 rating out of a possible 100 on HRC’s Municipal Equality Index. There is still no word on whether or when a new proposal will be introduced: More here: bit.ly/1Qq8fBU and fcnews.tv/1O5UFg7
LEWISBURG, WV HAS FIRST MEETING ON NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE: Yesterday, the City Council of Lewisburg, WV unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance that–if approved after a second reading–will establish protections for residents based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion, sex, age and several other categories. A crowd of more than 200 supporters and opponents attended the meeting, which was not open to public comment. The second public reading is scheduled for January 19. Six other communities in West Virginia have already implemented such protections for LGBT people. More here: bit.ly/1Rowu33 and here: bit.ly/1IUderH
AROUND THE WORLD
HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICE OF CANADA: Earlier this month, West Coast Prison Justice Society filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission on behalf of Laura Bulyk, a transgender inmate who alleges bullying, intimidation and sexual abuse from male prisoners and staffers and the facility where she is serving her sentence. The complaint seeks to change the policy for all transgender prisoners asking that the commission require staff to identity prisoners using the appropriate pronouns, and end discriminatory practices like limiting access to gender affirmation surgery and placing inmates solely based on biological sex. More here: yhoo.it/1k2vMKr
READING RAINBOW
The National Journal outlines how Indiana’s pro-equality shift on LGBT issues could affect Gov. Mike Pence’s fight to keep the governorship… Steven Petrow of the Washington Post shows us what a remarkable year it was for LGBT visibility in ads… and Gay Star News takes a look at the island nation of Malta, which they describe as “one of the biggest LGBTI success stories of the last decade.”
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 and updates. Thanks for reading!
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