Voting Begins in New Hampshire in 2016 Primaries

Today, voters across the Granite State will head to the polls to vote in the nation’s first primary this election season.

HRC staff and volunteers have been on the ground for weeks, getting out of the vote for Hillary Clinton.

HRC endorsed Clinton last month at rally in Des Moines, Iowa.

While our volunteers have been knocking on doors and phone banking, they’ve met several LGBT leaders and allies, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Michelle Kwan and Chelsea Clinton. Hillary Clinton joined HRC’s volunteers to thank them for their hard work and dedication.

As a candidate, Hillary Clinton has made LGBT equality a pillar of her campaign, and unveiled a robust, ambitious and detailed plan for making progress on equality as president.  She has vowed to fight for the Equality Act — a bill that would finally offer explicit, clear, and permanent non-discrimination protections for LGBT people at the federal level — and her LGBT policy platform specifically calls for dropping the ban on open transgender military service, banning 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 and support the LGBT community.

There is so much at stake for the LGBT community in the 2016 presidential election. Over the last seven years under President Obama’s leadership, the nation has made substantial progress on LGBT equality. Despite the fact that a majority of Republican and Independent voters today support federal protections for LGBT Americans, the leading Republican candidates for president have threatened to halt progress as well as revoke, repeal, and overturn the gains made during President Obama’s two terms. The next president will have the power to reshape the Supreme Court, appoint top officials throughout the government, sign or veto non-discrimination legislation, and reshape foreign policy.

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Charlotte City Council Schedules Non-Discrimination Vote for February 22

Yesterday, the Charlotte City Council held a public meeting, which included a briefing from City staff on a proposed non-discrimination ordinance that would protect the Charlotte LGBT community from discrimination in public accommodations, vehicles for hire and in government contracting. The briefing, requested by Mayor Jennifer Roberts and members of council, reviewed the legal implications for the proposed ordinances, the scope of the Council’s legal authority to enact the protections and specifically addressed concerns raised by one of Charlotte’s leading opponents to LGBT protections, State Representative Dan Bishop. Late last month Rep. Bishop, a candidate for the State Senate, sent a letter to Mayor Jennifer Roberts and Charlotte city council members laying out a legal and political case for delaying and abandoning the Mayor’s pledge to move forward on LGBT non-discrimination protections. The briefing reaffirmed the city’s legal authority to move forward later this month.  

Opponents to LGBT protections in Charlotte held a press conference directly before the briefing and demonstrated inside the Conference Center of the Mecklenburg Government Center.

In the closing hour of the briefing, a motion was made and approved to bring the non-discrimination ordinance up for a public hearing and a final vote on Monday, February 22.

Earlier this month, HRC members in Charlotte joined representatives from Equality NC, MeckPAC, the Mecklenburg County LGBT Democrats and the Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce to announce the re-launch of TurnOUT! Charlotte and push for a fully inclusive non-discrimination ordinance. TurnOUT Charlotte, originally convened by HRC, Equality NC and MeckPAC, was an unprecedented program launched last year to engage the LGBT community and our allies in the Charlotte City elections.

HRC is encouraging our members in Charlotte to attend the hearing on Monday, February 22 and to wear blue to show your support for LGBT non-discrimination. 

Pictured above: Following the Charlotte City Council’s briefing Scott Bishop (HRC Board member), Erica Lachowitz (transgender advocate and Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce Board member) and Crystal Richardson (Equality NC Director of Public Advocacy) hold an impromptu press conference to discuss the outcome of the briefing.

Pictured below: Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts and City Council members are briefed by City staff on the proposed Charlotte non-discrimination ordinance. 

www.hrc.org/blog/charlotte-city-council-schedules-non-discrimination-vote-for-february-22?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed