Civil Rights

From the editorial board of the New York Times: Moscow is unlikely to take meaningful action against Chechnya, or to rethink its broader policy toward gay rights, in the absence of strong and sustained international pressure. In recent years several countries from the Americas and Europe have promoted equality for gay and transgender people as universal human rights. The Obama …

The BBC reports: Prosecutors in the northern Nigeria state of Kaduna have charged a group of 53 people with conspiring to celebrate a gay wedding. The accused, arrested last Saturday, have denied the allegations, with their lawyers saying they were illegally detained. The court released the group on bail and the case was remanded to 8 May. Homosexual acts are …

ABC News reports: The NCAA has awarded coveted men’s basketball tournament games and other events to North Carolina, effectively ending a boycott that helped force the state to repeal parts of a law that limited protections for LGBT people. The governing body announced decisions Tuesday for events through 2022, two weeks after the NCAA said it had “reluctantly” agreed to …

Relentless hatred. The Houston Chronicle reports: Entering the fray over where transgender Texans can use public bathrooms, a far-reaching bill that a powerful House committee is scheduled to hear next week would rescind several local ordinances aimed at protecting LGBT people from discrimination. The one-page proposal, House Bill 2899, would prohibit cities and counties from passing non-discrimination ordinances and would …

“I am disgusted and appalled by reports from both the Russian media and non-governmental organizations that authorities in the Russian republic of Chechnya have rounded up, tortured, and even murdered individuals who are believed to be gay. When faced with such crimes of hate and inhumanity, it is the responsibility of every person of conscience to speak out—to oppose this …

Via press release from the ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina, and Lambda Legal today condemned the decision by the Department of Justice to dismiss its lawsuit challenging House Bill 2, the discriminatory North Carolina law that banned many transgender people from restrooms and other public facilities matching their gender. The law also prohibited local …

USA Today reports: President Trump has nominated Tennessee state Sen. Mark Green to become secretary of the Army. The White House made the announcement Friday. Green is a former Army officer and West Point graduate who is popular among many Tea Party-aligned Republicans. His nomination still must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The secretary of the Army, which is …

The Omaha World Herald reports: The Nebraska Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision Friday ordering the state to pay nearly $174,000 in attorneys fees to those who successfully challenged a policy that denied the placement of foster children with same-sex couples. The high court rejected the appeal of Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, who said the same-sex couples who …

Via press release: NYC Pride announced today its four Grand Marshals scheduled to lead the 48th NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 25, 2017. The American Civil Liberties Union, Brooke Guinan, Krishna Stone, and Geng Le will lead this year’s critical demonstration of LGBT Pride and protest. ● The American Civil Liberties Union has been the United States’ uncompromising defender …

Clip recap: Neil Gorsuch is Donald Trump’s choice for the Supreme Court, and you may be wondering — do we need to be worried about this guy? The answer: yes, yes you do, unless you don’t like having the freedom to marry, to get medical care, to have a place to live, or to use the bathroom.

Via press release from the NCAA: In August of 2016, the NCAA Board of Governors instructed the relocation of NCAA championships scheduled in North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year because of the cumulative impact HB2 had on local communities’ ability to ensure a safe, healthy, discrimination-free atmosphere for all those watching and participating in our events. Last week, the …

The Huffington Post reports: President Donald Trump is expected to choose as his Army secretary Tennessee state Sen. Mark Green (R), a legislator who is popular among many tea party Republicans and is the sponsor of a bill that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer advocates say takes direct aim at their community. Green’s confirmation would be a significant break …

The Charlotte Observer reports: The General Assembly on Thursday approved a compromise bill that repeals House Bill 2 but restricts anti-discrimination ordinances in cities and counties. Gov. Roy Cooper signed the measure into law. The Democratic governor negotiated the compromise with the Republican leaders of the legislature, House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger. “It was a very …

Patch reports: Boston is responding to the arrival of the anti-transgender “Free Speech Bus” by raising a transgender flag at City Hall in an act of solidarity. Mayor Marty Walsh had the flag raised around 1 p.m. after saying “we are always going to support our transgender community and defend their fundamental rights.” The “Free Speech Bus” rolled into town …

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: The General Assembly on Thursday approved a compromise bill that repeals House Bill 2 but restricts anti-discrimination ordinances in cities and counties. The bill now goes to the governor for his signature. Opposition and support for the bill did not fall along party lines in the 32-16 Senate vote. Several Triangle Democrats banded together …

Earlier today the North Carolina Senate voted 32-16 for a “compromise” repeal of HB2 that has angered both LGBT activists and hate groups. The Charlotte Observer is now live-streaming the debate in the state House on their Facebook page. Watch it here. UPDATE: More from the Observer. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement overnight that he supported the …

The Associated Press reports: An Arkansas lawmaker dropped her proposal Wednesday prohibiting individuals from using bathrooms in government buildings that do not match their gender at birth after the legislation had faced opposition from the state’s Republican governor and tourism groups. GOP Sen. Linda Collins-Smith withdrew her proposal, which would have required every restroom or changing facility accessible by multiple …

ABC News reports: A controversial compromise bill that would replace HB2 has cleared its second hurdle and is now on its way to the North Carolina House. HB142 passed its second reading in the Senate 32 to 16, meanwhile, it remains unclear if the compromise bill will pass in the House. “This law does not repeal HB2, it doubles down …

The Charlotte Observer reports: North Carolina lawmakers could repeal House Bill 2 on Thursday under a deal struck late Wednesday night by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican legislative leaders. Senate leader Phil Berger announced the deal shortly after 10:30 p.m. The announcement capped days of marathon, often contentious negotiations and closed-door meetings. Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore took …

The Austin Statesman reports: Flexing his parliamentary muscle and flashing his antipathy to efforts to regulate the use of bathrooms by transgender people, House Speaker Joe Straus prevented amendments on the matter from reaching the House floor on Tuesday. In a showdown with his most socially conservative members, Speaker Joe Straus ended debate on a bill about the fate of …