Civil Rights

American Family Association: We’re “Testing Target” By Sending Men Into The Ladies Room [AUDIO]

Miranda Blue reports at Right Wing Watch: It turns out that anti-LGBT activists are right that men are taking advantage of a transgender-inclusive policy at Target to go into women’s restrooms — and those men are anti-LGBT activists. In an interview this morning with “Breitbart News Daily,” the American Family Association’s director of governmental affairs, Sandy Rios, said that activists …

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NORTH CAROLINA: New Ad Campaign Explains The Absurdity Of Anti-Trans Bathroom Laws [VIDEO]

Finally, we have an ad campaign featuring a real life trans person. The campaign goes live today. Clip recap: In this new ad, Zeke Christopoulos – a transgender man who lives in Asheville, North Carolina – and two of his professional colleagues discuss their concerns about the discriminatory House Bill 2, which knocked down existing non-discrimination protections for LGBT people …

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Ted Cruz Continues Anti-Trans Attacks [VIDEO]

Ever since Donald Trump came out against North Carolina’s hate law, Ted Cruz has made the “bathroom” issue a major talking point of his media appearances. He did so once again this morning on Meet The Press. From the Human Rights Campaign: “After invoking the importance of the Bill of Rights, Ted Cruz had the gall to spread vicious lies …

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PETITION: We #StandWithTarget On Trans Rights

MoveOn has launched a #StandWithTarget petition to counter the petition authored earlier this week by the AFA. From the MoveOn petition: “I pledge to support Target and any other business that stands up for transgender rights and accommodates transgender people in their restroom use.” Sign at this link. They’ve gotten 26K signatures already.

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House Committee Advances Bill To Override Obama’s Executive Order On Anti-LGBT Discrimination

The Washington Post reports:  The measure, introduced by freshman Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla.) at 12:30 a.m. as the House Armed Services Committee prepared to pass the defense bill, would require the government to give religious organizations it signs contracts with exemptions in federal civil rights law and the Americans Disabilities Act. Those laws do not ban discrimination on the basis …

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Megyn Kelly Rips North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory Over Hate Law: What’s With Your Irrational Fear? [VIDEO]

Raw Story reports: “I can’t believe we’re even talking about this,” McCrory said, before blaming “the left” for the passage of HB2 by the Republican-dominated state legislature. The law rolled back anti-discrimination statues implemented in Charlotte, and bans trans residents from using public restrooms according to their gender identity. “It’s not just womens’ bathrooms, it’s mens’ bathrooms,” he continued. “In …

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Target Boycott Petition Hits One Million Names

Breitbart is thrilled: More than 1,000,000 people have signed the boycott pledge against Target, following the secretive decision by executives to open all of their stores’ bathrooms and changing rooms to people of both sexes. Late Thursday night, roughly 75 people a minute were adding their name to the petition as it clicked over 1 million, just after 10:30 pm …

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NORTH CAROLINA: Pro-LGBT Groups Urge AG Loretta Lynch To Threaten School Funding Over Hate Law

Dominic Holden reports at Buzzfeed: The country’s top LGBT legal organizations urged federal officials on Thursday to make it clear that passing anti-LGBT laws like one in North Carolina will jeopardize their federal education funding. In their letter to White House counsel Neil Eggleston and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the five groups write, “This administration must make definitively clear …

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NORTH CAROLINA: Senate Rules Chair Tom Apodaca Refers HB2 Repeal Bill To Committee That Never Meets

From the Raleigh News & Observer: State Senate Democrats’ proposal to repeal House Bill 2 appears to be dead just a day after it was filed. On Wednesday, senators Terry Van Duyn of Asheville, Jeff Jackson of Charlotte and Mike Woodard of Durham filed Senate Bill 784, which would repeal the controversial LGBT law in its entirety. The bill is …

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LOUISIANA: Senate Committee Advances LGBT Anti-Discrimination Employment Bill In 4-3 Vote

Two weeks ago Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed an executive order banning employment discrimination against LGBT state employees. Today the chance for wider protections advanced. Via the Associated Press: Senators advanced a proposal to ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, moments after an initial vote appeared to stall the measure in committee. Sen. Regina Barrow, …

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OREGON: Anti-Gay Bakers File 615-Page Appeal Claiming Violation Of Their First Amendment Rights

But their right to rake in about $650,000 in donations? It’s what White Jesus would want. The Oregonian reports: The Gresham bakers who made national headlines after refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding are fighting back against Oregon regulators. In a brief filed in the Oregon Court of Appeals this week, Aaron and Melissa Klein say the …

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Liberal Redneck On The Target Boycott [VIDEO]

YouTube’s viral Liberal Redneck (a real-life comedian named Trae Crowder) is back with his take on the American Family Association’s boycott of Target. As like last time, I won’t give away the best lines with a recap. Just watch below.

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NOM Vows To Unseat “Cowardly Gutless” Republicans Who Voted Against Missouri’s Anti-LGBT Bill

NOM has the sadz about yesterday’s result in Missouri. From Brian Brown: We’ve been done in by three cowardly Republican legislators who voted with LGBT extremists to deny supporters of marriage protections from government persecution. Because of these gutless Republicans who have betrayed Missouri values and the GOP platform, supporters of marriage will continue to be targeted by extremists for …

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98 Degrees Goes Springsteen On North Carolina

Billboard reports: The just-announced My2K Tour — featuring a roster of pop stars most famous for their contributions to the charts in a decade when MTV’s TRL ruled the music business — is sure to be a hot ticket for nostalgia-loving audiences. Just not anyone in North Carolina. Originally scheduled for 35 dates, My2K will now stop in only 33 …

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BREAKING: Missouri House Panel Rejects Anti-LGBT “License To Discriminate” Bill In Split 6-6 Vote

Via press release from PROMO Missouri: In a 6-6 vote this afternoon, the majority of the Emerging Issues Committee voted against SJR 39. The committee members that voted against SJR 39 are Rep. Jeremy LaFaver, Rep. Mike Colona, Rep. Jim Hansen, Rep. Sharon Pace, Rep. Caleb Rowden, and Rep. Anne Zerr. SJR 39 has had national attention in light of …

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Colbert Mocks Anti-Trans “Bathroom Weirdos” [VIDEO]

From the Washington Post: Stephen Colbert doesn’t like that legislators in North Carolina and elsewhere are legislating which bathrooms transgender people can use. He even called them “weirdos” on Tuesday night’s show. “To all those lawmakers out there who are so obsessed with who’s using what bathroom and what plumbing they’ve got downtown?” Colbert said. “Newsflash: You’re the weirdos.”

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North Carolina Loses Architects Convention

The Associated Press reports: Another convention has canceled in North Carolina in protest of the state’s new law limiting anti-discrimination protections for the LGBT community. Local media outlets report the American Institute of Architects will not hold its South Atlantic Region Conference in Wilmington this fall. About 500 architects were expected to attend, and tourism officials estimate the loss at …

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NORTH CAROLINA: NBA Legend & Charlotte Hornets Owner Michael Jordan Opposes Anti-LGBT Hate Law

The Charlotte Observer reports: With the threat of the NBA pulling its 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte in the wake of House Bill 2, Hornets owner Michael Jordan reinforced his franchise’s position against any form of discrimination. “As my organization has stated previously, the Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment are opposed to discrimination in any form, and we …

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ALABAMA: Small Town Of Oxford Rebukes Target, Criminalizes Restroom Use By Transgender Citizens

Yesterday the city council of Oxford, Alabama, population 21,000, voted unanimously to publicly rebuke Target and criminalize the use of public restrooms by transgender citizens. Violations of the new law can result in a $500 fine or six months in jail. From the Anniston Star: After members approved the new city ordinance, Council President Steven Waits read from a prepared …

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Gov. Pat McCrory: Democrats & Gays Orchestrated The Bathroom Issue So That I Won’t Be Reelected

Seriously. He said that. From the New York Times:  McCrory, 59, last week could barely contain his irritation that the law had taken center stage in the election, siphoning attention from his central message: that he has been a wise steward of the economy who had engineered what he and his team have branded the “Carolina Comeback.” This hornet’s nest, …

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