Civil Rights

The Charlotte Observer reports: Three days after Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2, his general counsel told a former legal colleague that the governor battled the legislature over the bill that limited protections for LGBT individuals, according to emails obtained by the Observer. “Bob, here are the facts: We fought against this bill,” Bob Stephens said in a March …

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Attorney General Jeff Landry can reject dozens of state legal contracts because they include language preventing discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people — among other reasons, according to a Baton Rouge state court ruling Monday (Oct. 17). Judge Donald Johnson, of the 19th Judicial District Court, determined Gov. John Bel Edwards does not …

The Charlotte Agenda reports: Today, Gov. Pat McCrory celebrates his 60th birthday — but it’s not going to be a pleasant birthday morning. A group called the Writers for a Progressive North Carolina purchased a full page newspaper ad in today’s Raleigh News & Observer with headline “HB2 U, PAT” that showcases a rainbow layer cake and body text that …

From the editorial board of the Charlotte Observer: The Charlotte Observer’s editorial board has endorsed Republican Pat McCrory in every one of his bids for office since 1991. That includes twice for City Council, seven times for mayor and twice for governor. That streak comes to an end today. McCrory’s term as North Carolina governor is the ultimate illustration of …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: Opponents of a newly enacted Massachusetts law that prohibits anti-trans discrimination in public accommodations have obtained enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot in 2018, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin certified Tuesday. Brian McNaff, a Galvin spokesperson, affirmed for the Washington Blade Wednesday opponents of the law submitted 34,231 …

The Charlotte Observer reports: In a discussion with conservative leaders last week, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said the reaction to House Bill 2 has gotten personal, leaving his wife “shunned” at social events and making him the target of verbal assaults and even death threats. McCrory told the group that he’s also experienced political blow-back that he said was …

Courthouse News Service reports: A federal class action filed more than a decade after the Supreme Court struck down state sodomy laws challenges a Mississippi statute that requires people convicted of having anal sex to register as sex offenders. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of five Mississippi residents who say they were convicted under various sodomy prohibitions, including the …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: Mike Pence has indicated a Donald Trump administration would roll back guidance issued by the Obama administration that prohibits schools from discriminating against transgender students and assuring them access to the restroom consistent with their gender identity. Pence made the remarks on the day after the vice presidential debate on the “Family Talk …

The recent polls have clearly rattled hate group leader Tony Perkins. He writes: The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is putting most of their marbles on the elections in North Carolina. HRC, assisted by a liberal and complicit media, has succeeded in deceiving a portion of the public into thinking that HB 2 is an anti-LGBTQ bill rather than what it …

Entertainment Weekly recaps: It took a little while, but Tuesday’s vice presidential debate eventually created an internet meme: “That Mexican thing.” The words were uttered by Republican candidate Mike Pence after his opponent, Democratic candidate Tim Kaine, brought up GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s infamous comment about Mexican immigrants for a fourth time during the debate. The comment was quickly …

During MSNBC’s post-debate analysis, Rachel Maddow lamented that Tim Kaine failed to confront Mike Pence on his history of supporting virulently anti-LGBT policies, including his demand that “gay cure” funding be attached to an HIV/AIDS bill. As you surely recall, Pence opposed the repeal of DADT, opposed same-sex marriage, and signed a bill that would have permitted Indiana businesses to …

The case is important because the couple had never married. The Associated Press reports: The Massachusetts court that paved the way for same-sex marriage in the United States ruled Tuesday that an unmarried gay woman whose former girlfriend gave birth to two children through artificial insemination has the same parental rights as their biological mother. The Supreme Judicial Court, of …

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: Gov. Pat McCrory is out with a new TV ad on Monday boasting of North Carolina’s economic gains. “When I entered office North Carolina had record unemployment, high taxes and huge budget shortfalls; it had been that way for years,” McCrory says in the ad. “Now, we have one of the fastest-growing economies in …

NBC News reports: Edie Windsor, the 87-year-old LGBTQ activist whose lawsuit against the federal government helped paved the way for same-sex marriage nationwide, has gotten remarried. Windsor and Judith Kasen, 51, tied the knot on Monday at City Hall in New York, the New York Times reported on Saturday. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this joy and …

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: Comedy Central’s The Daily Show came to Raleigh recently to poke fun at House Bill 2 by operating a food truck that refused to serve gay people. The show parked a fake barbecue business called Bone Bros. Flamin’ BBQ outside Trophy Brewing on Maywood Avenue and the Ruby Deluxe bar on Salisbury Street earlier …

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Gov. John Bel Edwards is suing Attorney General Jeff Landry for blocking state legal contracts over language meant to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination in the workplace. Edwards filed the lawsuit in a Baton Rouge state court Friday (Sept. 30), following a meeting with Landry in which the two officials were …

AL.com has the big news: Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has been suspended from the bench for telling probate judges to defy federal orders regarding gay marriage. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary (COJ) issued the order Friday suspending Moore from the bench for the remainder of his term. “For these violations, Chief Justice Moore is hereby suspended …

Bustle reports: In case you needed a reminder that the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage didn’t fix all the problems facing the LGBTQ community, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center has found that just half of Americans support transgender bathroom access according to gender identity, rather than biological sex. The finding comes as part of more general …

Poetic justice. Yahoo Sports reports: The ACC officially has a new location for its football championship game. The conference announced Thursday morning that the game will move to Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. The move comes two weeks after the conference, following an NCAA decision, decided to move all of its championships outside of the state of North Carolina because of …

The Sacramento Bee reports: North Carolina’s controversial law overturning local government protections for gays and lesbians could cost it some business with California state agencies. Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a bill that prohibits state agencies from compelling their employees to travel to states with laws that allow discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The …