Civil Rights

Lambda Legal’s Jon Davidson put it in context for what’s happening today: To quote late New York Yankee baseball great Yogi Berra, “it’s déjà vu all over again.” Today marks the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Romer v. Evans, Lambda Legal’s successful challenge, in partnership with the ACLU and some of Colorado’s top lawyers, to …

Most expect currently suspended Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore to run for governor in 2018 if the SPLC’s ethics complaint results in his being booted from the bench for a second time. Moore’s archenemy, local drag star Ambrosia Starling, yesterday revealed that she just might challenge him for the governor’s mansion. From the Huffington Post: Starling, who publicly …

From the band’s website: We have announced that we will be canceling our upcoming shows in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina because of the recent passage of the HB2 legislation. This was a difficult decision for us to make as a band. We don’t want to penalize our fans in North Carolina by not performing for them, but in the …

From the Charlotte Observer: About 200 people who had registered to run Ironman triathalons in North Carolina this year have transferred to races in other states after the sport said they could make the switch due to North Carolina’s controversial LGBT law, organizers said. Ironman, the Tampa, Fla.-based sports organization, had given registrants until May 9 to request a transfer …

NPR reports: Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he’s worked with fellow Republicans to keep a transgender bathroom bill off the agenda of a special session he called to address highway funding. Instead, Hutchinson plans to work with lawmakers on legislation for next year’s lengthier, regular legislative session. During a press conference, Hutchinson said adding the item to the special session has …

From World Net Daily: Lawmakers in Oklahoma, alarmed by the chaos that’s been generated from President Obama’s pressure on schools to open bathrooms to both sexes – else face loss of federal funding – have introduced a bill that declares the matter an “emergency” and allows the state’s attorney general to provide legal representation for those who come under fire …

Reuters reports: An Oklahoma bill that could send any doctor who performs an abortion to jail headed to the governor on Thursday, with opponents saying the measure is unconstitutional and promising a legal battle against the cash-strapped state if it is approved. The bill to make abortion a felony punishable by up to three years in prison was approved by …

Wow! Politico reports: The House erupted in chaos Thursday morning with Democrats crying foul after Republicans hastily convinced a few of their own to switch their votes and narrowly block an amendment intended to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination. It was an unruly scene on the floor, with Democrats chanting “shame!” after GOP leaders just barely …

YouTube’s viral Liberal Redneck (a real-life comedian named Trae Crowder) is back with his take on the Christian protesters that are screaming inside Target stores. As before, I won’t give away the best lines with a recap. Just watch below.

Politico recaps: Americans are divided over whether transgender people should be allowed to use the public bathrooms of the gender with which they identify or the gender they were born as, according to the results of a CBS News/New York Times poll released Thursday. Nearly half—46 percent—said transgender people should be required to use the bathroom corresponding with their birth …

Nutcase Daryl Metcalfe is at it again. Via Newsworks: Ninety-seven Republican state representatives in Pennsylvania — including several from the Philadelphia region — have signed off on a letter to President Barack Obama, calling the new federal directive to make public schools transgender-inclusive “unconstitutional” and an “extreme outrage.” Led by state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, lawmakers argue in their letter …

NBC Washington reports: D.C. police have charged a security guard at a Giant grocery store with simple assault after a transgender woman said the guard forced her out of the women’s restroom. Ebony Belcher, 32, said she went to the Giant in northeast D.C. with a friend to pick up a delivery from the Western Union. While at the Giant, …

From the right wing Heritage Foundation: The largest conservative congressional caucus is calling into question the legality of President Barack Obama’s transgender bathroom directive for schools. Chairman Bill Flores, R-Texas, is encouraging Republican Study Committee members to sign on to a letter, pushing the Departments of Education and Justice to detail how, and on what authority, they plan to enforce …

Via CBS Minnesota: From sidewalk picketing to online petitions, the opposition to Target’s bathroom and fitting room policy isn’t going away. Outside the state office building in St. Paul on Monday, a large truck rolled up carrying a strong anti-Target message. “Send Target a message — don’t shop where women and children’s emotional and physical safety and privacy are under …

Via press release: Today, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, announced that Theodore B. Olson of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP will author an amicus brief on behalf of leading businesses in support of the Department of Justice’s lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s hateful HB2 law. “HB2 discriminates against fellow citizens because of who they are,” …

Fortune reports: Target reported a disappointing set of first-quarter results on Wednesday and warned investors to expect a slight drop in business in the current quarter. The discount retailer pointed to many factors pinching sales, damp and cool weather in parts of the company and skittish consumers, among them. But one thing not hitting sales is the purported boycott of …

Back in February, I launched a twice-monthly column for the website of Britain’s Pride Life magazine, a quarterly LGBT rights and lifestyle magazine. Today’s seventh installment is titled Obama Administration Takes Bold Action On Transgender Rights. Hit the link for my status report on trans rights, Target, hate groups, and the feds. DISCLOSURE: Pride Life is owned by the US …

As they did in 2012, tens of thousands of atheists, skeptics, and secularists will rally on the Washington Mall on Saturday June 4th. From the Reason Rally website: The goal of Reason Rally 2016 is to showcase the presence and power of the nonreligious voting bloc, and to demand that reason be put at the forefront of our public and …

Via press release: Joined by leaders from the civil rights, social justice and faith communities, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Congressman Joe Kennedy III (MA-04) today introduced legislation to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The Do No Harm Act would clarify that no one can seek religious exemption …

From the pro-LGBT site Bondings 2.0: A top cardinal at the Vatican attacked transgender civil rights as “demonic” and compared marriage equality to “poison” during a speech before high-profile U.S. Catholics. Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship, keynoted the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast yesterday morning in Washington, D.C. His address about family and religious freedom …