LGBT News

Equality North Carolina Head Chris Sgro Appointed To State House, Vows To Work To Repeal Hate Law

Posted this morning to the Facebook page of Equality North Carolina head Chris Sgro: Friends, it is my honor to be appointed to the remainder of Representative Ralph Johnson’s unexpired term. Ralph was a great leader for Greensboro and I have big shoes to fill. Amos Quick will fill the seat after January and have my support, but GCDP stepped …

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NORTH CAROLINA: Local NAACP Head Vows State House Sit-In If Hate Law Isn’t Repealed by April 21st

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: N.C. NAACP president William Barber says his group will hold a “mass sit-in” at the legislature if a controversial LGBT law isn’t repealed by April 21. Barber, whose Forward Together Moral Movement has organized numerous Moral Monday protests and acts of civil disobedience, plans to announce more details about the event at a news …

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#PeeingForPat: Activists Troll North Carolina Governor

Raw Story reports: A new online campaign is targeting North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) for mockery concerning his state’s new anti-trans legislation. #PeeingForPat, as it’s being called, encourages participants to contact the governor to “confirm your adherence to or disregard of” HB2, which bans trans residents from using public restrooms according to their gender identity, and also rolled back …

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Bruce Springsteen Cancels North Carolina Concert In Show Of Solidarity For Transgender “Freedom Fighters”

WHOA. Bruce Springsteen tweeted out this statement this afternoon: As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms …

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Bernie Sanders: As President I’d Work To Overturn Anti-LGBT Laws in Mississippi & North Carolina [VIDEO]

CNN reports: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Friday that if elected president, he would overturn laws in Mississippi and North Carolina that critics say discriminate against the gay community. “As president of the United States, I would do everything I can do to overturn those outrageous decisions by Mississippi and North Carolina,” he said on ABC’s “The View.” “We have …

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MISSISSIPPI: Hospitality Group To Offer “Everyone’s Welcome Here” Signs To Eateries, Hotels, And Shops

A Mississippi hospitality group with 1400 hotels, restaurants, and shops among its members has a plan to mitigate damage to the state’s reputation. From Jackson’s ABC affiliate: Mike Cashion, executive director of the MHRA, said “when HB 1523 was signed, Mississippi was thrust into the national spotlight. Regardless of its intent, this legislation has created a level of controversy and …

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DELAWARE: Gov. Jack Markell Denounces States That Have Singled-Out Trans Citizens For Exclusion [VIDEO]

In a video posted today to the YouTube channel of the National Center for Transgender Equality, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell denounces states that have “chosen to single-out their LGBT residents and transgender people, in particular, for exclusion.” More from the clip recap: Delaware Gov. Jack Markell stands up for transgender equality and combats the misinformation and scare tactics being utilized …

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SOUTH CAROLINA: Gov. Nikki Haley Hints That She May Veto “Unnecessary” Anti-Transgender Bill

The State reports: S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley said Thursday that a proposed law to limit the bathrooms that transgender people can use is not needed. Haley said her office has not received any complaints about the issue, adding South Carolinians are respectful to people of different backgrounds. “I don’t believe it’s necessary,” the Lexington Republican told reporters. “There’s not one …

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TRAILER: Nothing Left Unsaid

HBO’s documentary about Anderson Cooper and his famed mother Gloria Vanderbilt played at Sundance earlier this year and debuts on HBO tomorrow night. Here’s an excerpt from today’s Vanity Fair review: The early part of Vanderbilt’s life, when she was the famous “poor little rich girl” at the center of a bitter custody dispute that was then known as “the …

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FRANCE: Paris Court Rules It’s OK To Call Hairdressers “Faggots” Because Many Hairdressers Are Gay

From the BBC: A Paris tribunal has ruled that calling a male hairdresser a “faggot” is not homophobic – “because hair salons regularly employ gay people”. The case relates to an employee at a salon who was fired after failing to turn up for work while sick. His boss accidentally sent him a text using the slur, so the hairdresser …

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Pope Francis Issues Edict: Treat Gays Better But Continue To Battle Against Same-Sex Marriage [VIDEO]

CNN reports: Pope Francis put his shoulder to the doors of the Catholic Church and shoved them open a little wider Friday, calling for the church to be more tolerant in practice, while not changing any official doctrines. He urged priests around the world to be more accepting of gay men and lesbians, divorced Catholics and other people living in …

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PUERTO RICO: First Circuit Court Boots Crackpot Judge Who Ruled Obergefell Doesn’t Apply In US Territories

Chris Geidner reports at Buzzfeed: A federal appeals court on Thursday stated unambiguously that Puerto Rico’s ban on same-sex couples’ marriages is unconstitutional, throwing a federal judge off a case after the judge had ruled in March that the ban was still in effect. “The district court’s ruling errs in so many respects that it is hard to know where …

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MISSISSIPPI: Openly Lesbian Journalist Robin Roberts Is The New Face Of State’s Official Tourism Agency

The Advocate reports: Lesbian news anchor Robin Roberts is the face of Mississippi’s official state tourism publication this year, joining Gov. Phil Bryant, who recently signed an anti-LGBT bill into law, in encouraging tourists to visit the Magnolia State. The 2016 official tour guide for the state of Mississippi, which features Roberts on the cover, came out well before the …

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TENNESSEE: Two More Anti-Trans Bills Advance

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] …

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MISSISSIPPI: Here Come The Sex Police?

Via Jackson’s ABC affiliate: Legal experts said Wednesday that a new Mississippi religious objection law is so broad it reaches beyond gay couples to anyone who has had premarital sex. A key section of the legislation lets government and business employees refuse service based on their religious beliefs. Opponents have said that it sanctions discrimination against same-sex couples and transgender …

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Ellen Denounces Mississippi’s Hate Law [VIDEO]

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 …

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Funny Or Die Takes On Mississippi [VIDEO]

Somehow I missed this yesterday. From the Jackson Clarion-Ledger: The folks at Funny or Die posted a mock Mississippi tourism video after Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1523, the religious objections bill, into law on Tuesday. Before you ask, “Why is this news?” it’s important to note this online spoof will eventually be seen by millions. And this is …

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PENNSYLVANIA: Gov. Tom Wolf To Sign Order Banning Anti-LGBT Discrimination By State Contractors

The Associated Press reports: Gov. Tom Wolf says he’ll sign an executive order to prohibit discrimination by state contractors against people who are lesbian, gay or transgender. Wolf told WESA-FM in Pittsburgh on Wednesday that he had hoped the Legislature would pass legislation designed to outlaw discrimination based on someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. But he says he’s decided …

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Forbes Interviews Replacements LTD CEO Bob Page About His Stance On North Carolina’s Hate Law

A few days ago I posted an impassioned letter from Bob Page, the openly gay founder and CEO of North Carolina’s Replacements LTD. In an interview published today, Page tells Forbes writer Susan Adams that his letter, which has been viewed over one million times on social media and his company’s website, has generated over 13,000 responses, 98% of which …

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When Trans People Need #ID2P [VIDEO]

Over 600K views for the below skit posted to Facebook a few days ago by Moovs. Watch as trans men and women are forced by law into the wrong bathroom. This is the new reality for thousands of trans Americans in North Carolina.

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