Civil Rights

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper writes for the Charlotte Observer: North Carolinians are tired of hearing about this. As I travel across the state, people from Murphy to Manteo tell me that they want their elected officials to come together to solve this problem before HB2 does even more damage. We came close to repealing it in December. The Republican …

I first began reporting on this ugly battle five years ago and last night the good guys finally won. The Florida Times-Union reports: In a historic moment for gay rights advocates, city leaders on Tuesday outlawed discrimination against the LGBT community. Less than an hour after the City Council passed legislation that banned discrimination against gay and transgender people, Mayor …

Sports Illustrated reports: Texas governor Greg Abbott mocked the NFL’s “decision makers” on Twitter after the league issued veiled criticism of a proposed “bathroom bill” in the state. Abbott’s tweet came after a league spokesman told the AP that prejudicial legislation could be a factor when the NFL chooses where to host events like the Super Bowl. “If a proposal …

Chris Geidner reports at Buzzfeed: The Justice Department took a step back Friday from its prior position of advancing transgender people’s rights under existing civil rights laws. On just the second day of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ tenure at the helm of the Justice Department, the federal government filed a notice in the lawsuit Texas and other states had brought …

Politico reports: Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lauded Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday for continuing to speak against the confirmation of Sen. Jeff Sessions to be attorney general, joining a social media chorus in using Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s words against him. The GOP-controlled Senate voted along party lines Wednesday evening to stop Warren (D-Mass.) from speaking because …

“The news reports that liberals are up in arms about a potential executive order from the president to protect religious freedom in this country. One of the reasons that millions of evangelicals and Catholics voted for President Donald J. Trump was because of his commitment to protecting religious freedom, and I believe he is looking for ways to do that. …

The Huffington Post reports: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rose on Tuesday and objected in the midst of a speech Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was giving in opposition to the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to be attorney general. McConnell took particular issue with Warren quoting a letter written by Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow, …

Politico reports: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump helped lead the charge to scuttle a draft executive order that would have overturned Obama-era enforcements of LGBT rights in the workplace, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told POLITICO. A draft executive order on LGBT rights that outlines how to roll back former President Barack Obama’s protections and expand legal exemptions …

Via press release: Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Equality Virginia strongly condemned the Virginia House of Delegates for passing HB 2025 — discriminatory legislation that seeks to give taxpayer-funded agencies and service providers a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people under the guise of religion. The dangerous anti-LGBTQ proposal will now move to the Senate for consideration. “The Virginia House …

Keen News Service reports: Asked whether the draft in circulation is one being considered by President Trump, Press Secretary Sean Spicer said at a White House briefing Thursday, “Right now, there are no executive orders we are able to read out.” He added, however, that there are a “lot of ideas being floated out,” and “input and ideas” being provided …

The Nation reports: A leaked copy of a draft executive order titled “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom,” obtained by The Investigative Fund and The Nation, reveals sweeping plans by the Trump administration to legalize discrimination. The four-page draft order, a copy of which is currently circulating among federal staff and advocacy organizations, construes religious organizations so broadly …

Via press release from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman: “As I’ve made clear: President Trump’s executive action is unconstitutional, unlawful, and fundamentally un-American. That is why my office will be filing to join the federal lawsuit against President Trump and his administration. I’m proud to partner with these organizations to fight to permanently strike down this dangerous and discriminatory …

The hearing is already underway. Surely this will come up: Well, this is awkward. Video of Sally Yates’ Deputy Attorney General confirmation hearing in 2015 shows Sen. Jeff Sessions — Trump’s pick for the country’s top legal position — grilling her about her responsibility to the then-President, Barack Obama, should he require her to execute “unlawful” views. “You have to …

Salon reports: A day after signing the controversial executive order that barred travelers from Muslim-majority countries, President Donald Trump told a pool of reporters that he thought the execution on the ground, at the airports, “was working out very nicely.” Seth Meyers was having none of that. The “Late Night” host dedicated his “Closer Look” segment to the apparent Muslim …

Perhaps obviously, this doesn’t rule out other actions reportedly under consideration. The New York Times reports: The White House said on Monday that President Trump would leave in place a 2014 Obama administration order that created new workplace protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. In a statement issued in response to growing questions about whether Mr. Trump would …

Dominic Holden reports at Buzzfeed: The Boy Scouts of America announced Monday that it would allow transgender boys to join the organization, based on their gender identity, shifting away from a policy that determined eligibility based on the sex listed on a child’s birth certificate. “Starting today, we will accept and register youth in the Cub and Boy Scout programs …

The Washington Post reports: The White House is embroiled in a debate over whether to reverse some key protections that the Obama administration extended to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers, according to several people briefed on the process. A draft of a potential executive order began circulating in Washington over the weekend that would overturn former president Barack Obama’s …

The New York Times reports: Acting Attorney General Sally Q. Yates, a holdover from the Obama administration, ordered the Justice Department on Monday not to defend President Trump’s executive order on immigration in court. “I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution’s solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for …

This afternoon White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer dodged a direct question about a rumored anti-LGBT executive order. An hour after his press briefing concluded, Washington Post reporter Josh Rogin tweeted that a “draft” version of such an order does exist and targets adoption rights among other issues. Trump supporters are responding to Rogin on Twitter, accusing him of “needlessly …

At today’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer dodged a question from Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson about reports of an impending anti-LGBT executive order. Johnson: “The LGBT group the Human Rights Campaign has issued a statement citing rumors that the president is about to sign a religious freedom executive order that would undermine LGBT rights. Is this …