LGBT News

McCrory is very unhappy about this “major, major change in social norms.” NC Capitol reports on Facebook: Gov. Pat McCrory spoke to reporters today after getting word about the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on the Virginia transgender student case. The ruling could directly affect North Carolina’s controversial House Bill 2. The governor says he will abide by the …

The Daily Beast reports: Stand-up comedian Tracy Morgan has canceled an upcoming Mississippi gig in protest of the state’s new law allowing business and public employees to discriminate against LGBT individuals. Morgan was set to perform at the Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino in Robinsonville on April 29, as part of his Picking Up the Pieces comeback tour following a …

The Charlotte News & Observer reports: Attorney General Roy Cooper has a growing lead over Gov. Pat McCrory in their race for governor, a new poll shows. While previous surveys have shown the candidates neck-and-neck within a margin of error, the new Elon University Poll gives Cooper a 48-42 percent lead. The margin of error in this survey was just …

Lambda Legal says this is a “game changer.” Chris Geidner reports at Buzzfeed: A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the Department of Education’s interpretation of existing federal civil rights laws to protect transgender people against discrimination in education. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, upheld the department’s interpretation of Title IX of the Education Amendments …

Former Go-Go’s lead singer Belinda Carlisle today published an open letter to Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and it’s really something: Governor Bryant, I am scheduled to perform in your great state this Saturday, however given the very recent anti-LGBTQ attacks that your administration has leveled against some of your own citizens I very nearly cancelled my appearance. After discussion with …

Rolling Stone reports: Hours after Pearl Jam announced they were canceling their Raleigh, North Carolina concert to protest the state’s controversial “bathroom bill,” Eddie Vedder delivered a powerful speech in front of Pearl Jam’s Hampton, Virginia crowd Monday explaining the decision. “We thought we could take the money and give it to them and still play the show, but the …

“God has a sense of humor. Why else would he invent the porcupine and the giraffe? Something can be devilishly funny, but this skit is diabolical. God has only one real enemy — Satan. Satan ridicules faith, and they’re taking Satan’s side. They’re also ridiculing me and the film, telling impressionable young people not to see it because it’s ridiculous. …

The Jerusalem Post reports: Yishai Schlissel, who stabbed participants in the July 2015 Gay Pride Parade in the capital, was convicted on Tuesday of murder and six counts of attempted murder by the Jerusalem District Court. The court in its ruling also slammed Israeli police apparatus for knowing about Schlissel and not stopping him. “It’s unconscionable,” the court said during …

Washington state’s Family Policy Institute went to the University of Washington to grill students about their support for transgender rights. Watch as their spokesman demands to know why these trans-friendly students won’t recognize his right to identify as a Chinese woman, a 7 year-old boy, or a 6’5″ man. The clip below has been viewed nearly 500,000 times already.

Patrick Strudwick reports at Buzzfeed: The NHS in England is to reconsider its controversial decision not to provide the drug that prevents HIV, BuzzFeed News can reveal. Faced with the threat of legal action by one of Britain’s leading HIV charities, NHS England’s lawyers have said that a dedicated committee will meet next month to look again at the pronouncement. …

The Tennessean reports: The House sponsor of a controversial bill that would require students in public school grades K-12 and higher education institutions to use the restroom that corresponds with their sex at birth is delaying action on the bill until next year. Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet, told The Tennessean on Monday that she plans on effectively killing her …

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 fifth installment is titled This Week In US Politics: Battle Over LGBT Rights Inflames Nation. Hit the link for my status report on the situation in North Carolina and Mississippi. DISCLOSURE: Pride Life is owned by …

This may, in part, explain the billboard campaign that popped up in London this weekend. Via Haaretz: In protest over the wide gap between the resources allocated to attract gay tourists to the country and the limited support for local LGBTQ organizations, members of Israel’s gay community are calling to cancel this year’s Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade. The call …

An electronic billboard bearing the message “Imagine London Without Gays” appeared in Britain’s capital this weekend, leading some on social media to ponder its meaning and its source. A supporting website carrying the same message about Madrid, Berlin, and “the world” was also launched. But the billboard’s owner, JC Decaux, may have prematurely given away the plot when they responded …

From the Democratic National Committee: This morning on CNN’s State of the Union, John Kasich was asked whether he would take steps to try to stop states from passing anti-LGBT “Right to Discriminate” laws. His blunt response? “No, I wouldn’t.” He added, “What I like to say is, just relax, if you don’t like what somebody is doing, pray for …

The Washington Post has evaluated North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s statements in the video accompanying last week’s executive order and given him “Three Pinocchios.” They write: By saying he is “taking action to affirm and improve the state’s commitment to privacy and equality” through his executive order, McCrory creates the illusion that there will be more changes than he can …

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory appeared on Meet The Press this morning, where he claimed that he was recently congratulated by black residents for protecting them from evil LGBTs. McCrory also stumbled over the name of the Human Rights Campaign, calling them the “Human Relations, uh, Rights Council.” McCrory then exclaimed, “My God, they are more powerful than the NRA!” …

Add Los Angeles to the lengthy boycott list: The North Carolina law “overturns all state protections for gay and lesbians and puts new discrimination on the books,” according to Councilman Mike Bonin, who proposed the resolution that was approved on a 12-0 vote. Bonin said the Mississippi law allows rental car businesses to turn away gay couples, and allows for …

On Thursday night Bruce Springsteen played Detroit, where he warned his audience that anti-LGBT laws are also in the works in Michigan: Just days after he scrapped a show in North Carolina as a protest against a new anti-LGBT state law, which restricts the public bathrooms transgenders can use, The Boss showed he was still upset about the controversy onstage …

From the Washington Post‘s letters to the editor: Regarding Kathleen Parker’s April 12 op-ed column, “Bigotry raises its hideous head in North Carolina”: Let me set the record straight: North Carolina proudly welcomes all people to live, work and visit our great state. We have long-held traditions of ensuring equality for all of our citizens and our visitors while respecting …