Civil Rights

“Sadly, once again, the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have been trampled on with the recent passage of HB2 in North Carolina. Me and my team at the True Colors Fund have been closely monitoring the situation in North Carolina and support the efforts of the Human Rights Campaign, Equality North Carolina, and others to repeal …

“I applaud Governor John Edwards for continuing our party’s strong tradition of equality and protecting all Americans from discrimination. His executive order protecting state workers and contractors from anti-LGBT discrimination will help ensure that LGBT Louisianans have the equal protection under the law they deserve. “Governor Edwards’ leadership stands in stark contrast to the disingenuous arguments that we’ve heard from …

Citing the Beatles classic All You Need Is Love, Ringo Starr today cancelled his June 18th concert in Cary, North Carolina, joining with fellow artists in “fighting against the bigotry of HB2.” Ringo further declares that HB2 “opens the door to discrimination everywhere.” See his message below.

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Gov. Nathan Deal said the uproar in North Carolina and Mississippi over new laws that critics say curb gay rights should give supporters of the “religious liberty” measure in Georgia second thoughts, and warned that he’s willing to pull out the veto pen again next year if similar legislation lands on his desk. In his first …

Via press release: Today, Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order providing employment protections for state employees and employees of state contractors on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, political affiliation, disability, or age. This executive order also prohibits discrimination in services provided by state agencies, and recognizes an exemption for churches …

Via press release from New York City Pride:  Heritage of Pride announced today three Grand Marshals for the 47th NYC Pride March. – Jazz Jennings is the 15-year-old honorary co-founder of the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation and the youngest Grand Marshal in NYC Pride history. Since her first appearance with her family at age 6 on 20/20, Jazz has become …

UPDATE: False alarm. Despite tons of media interest, the announcement has to do with an appointment to a state law enforcement group. From Raleigh’s CBS affiliate: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory will make a special announcement Wednesday morning, a day after he issued an executive order on House Bill 2. The announcement will take place Wednesday at 9 a.m. at …

The Raleigh News & Observer has produced a great video in which transgender residents speak out against North Carolina’s HB 2. Watch below as these people express shock, confusion, regret, and dismay over being stereotyped as sexual predators. Huge props to the paper for doing this.

From the New York-Mississippi Society: We, the founders of the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park and the New York-Mississippi Society, are officially canceling this year’s picnic in its 37th year. As a result of the unfortunate adoption of House Bill 1523, we have been informed that several concerned groups in New York City intend to demonstrate in protest of the …

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory did some damage control today, announcing that he has signed an executive order protecting LGBT state employees from discrimination. In the clip below, McCrory also declares that he will pursue amending House Bill 2 to reinstate the right to sue for discrimination in state courts. Today’s action does NOT, however, reinstate local LGBT protections nor …

The Kansas City Star reports: Businesses from around Missouri announced the formation a coalition Tuesday designed to stop a “religious freedom” amendment to the state’s constitution currently making its way through the Missouri Legislature. Members of the coalition, called Missouri Competes, have agreed to sign a pledge stating that the proposed amendment “does not represent our values as Missourians, and …

Media Matters writes: North Carolina is the first state in the country to pass a law aimed at broadly controlling transgender people’s access to public restrooms. Proponents of the law claim it’s needed to prevent sexual predators from sneaking into women’s bathrooms by dressing up as women and pretending to be transgender. That “bathroom predator” talking point is a myth. …

Reuters reports: Deutsche Bank is freezing plans to create 250 new jobs at its Cary, North Carolina, location after the state passed a controversial law targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens. “We take our commitment to building inclusive work environments seriously,” John Cryan, the chief executive of Germany’s largest lender, said in a statement on Tuesday. North Carolina …

From Winston-Salem’s Fox affiliate: Hundreds of people from all over the state of North Carolina gathered Monday for a rally to show support for House Bill 2. The rally, organized by several groups including the Christian Action League and Return America, featured speakers from religious groups as well as victims of sexual assault. Sheriffs from Davie, Alamance and Rockingham counties …

Via press release: He was born to run all right. Bruce Springsteen is blowing off his tour date in North Carolina Friday because the state is daring to let businesses set their own bathroom policies. What a scandalous idea! Like other liberal extremists, The Boss (or is it Bossy?) is furious that the North Carolina government won’t barge into board …

North Carolina Rep. Bill Richardson was one of the 11 Democrats to vote for his state’s anti-LGBT hate law. In an op-ed published today, Richardson says he is “haunted” by his vote and will now work for the law’s repeal. He writes: By enacting House Bill 2, the legislature did the wrong thing. I made the wrong vote and we …

From the Facebook page of Mississippi state Rep. Jay Hughes: HB1523 – Repeal? What will it take? Since the constitutional deadline for the introduction of new bills has passed, a “Suspension Resolution” will have to be filed in the House. Then, the Speaker will have to allow it to come up for a vote on the floor. It would then …

Tomorrow the Tennessee House Finance Committee is scheduled to hear a bill that bans public schools and universities from allowing trans students to use restrooms that align with their gender identity. As it turns out, one of the bill’s GOP co-sponsors is an ACTUAL real life danger to women according to his own party.  CBS News reports: A Tennessee lawmaker …

Talking Points Memo reports: The Tennessee state legislature on Wednesday advanced two separate pieces of legislation that target LGBT individuals, eliciting outcries from the business community. The state House on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow counselors to deny services to individuals based on sincerely held beliefs, letting them refuse to help gay individuals. State Rep. Dan Howell [PHOTO] …

Ellen DeGeneres has delivered a heartfelt, yet amusing reaction to Mississippi’s hate law. Watch below. An excerpt: So, if you don’t know, the Governor of the state signed a religious freedom bill, which might sound good because the word freedom is in it. But here’s what it means. Under the law, if you say for religious reasons you can ‘deny …