LGBT News

Via press release: Following the introduction of over two dozen bills to curb LGBT rights at the state and federal level, and in observation of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus released a video campaign, led by Co-Chair Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), to show support for the LGBT community. Featuring over 25 members …

Via USA Today: Barbra Streisand is going on tour this summer. The singer, 74, will perform in nine cities in August and after the tour, she will release a new album: Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway. No release date was identified. Her summer concerts will include songs from each decade of her hit-making career as well as numbers from the …

This is a major setback for supporters of North Carolina’s hate law: The Supreme Court announced Monday, over the dissent of one conservative justice, that it will not review a legal precedent key to an appeals court ruling last month requiring public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity. The justices declined to take …

Via press release: The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina, and Lambda Legal today asked a federal court to order an immediate halt to enforcement of a North Carolina law that targets transgender people for discrimination in single-sex facilities. The three organizations and the law firm of Jenner and Block are challenging the law, House Bill 2, …

The Texas Observer reports: A Texas GOP committee rejected an effort Wednesday to remove support for so-called ex-gay therapy from the party’s platform, according to Jeff Davis, president of the LGBT group Log Cabin Republicans of Texas. Instead, the panel tweaked some language in the plank but left it mostly intact. At the party’s state convention in Dallas, Davis told …

From the Washington Blade: The daughter of Cuban President Raúl Castro on Saturday led in a march in Havana that commemorated the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Mariela Castro, director of Cuba’s National Center for Sexual Education that is known by the Spanish acronym CENESEX, joined transgender actress Candis Cayne and hundreds of others who marched from the oceanfront …

From the Associated Press: Police in Bangladesh said Sunday that they have arrested a suspected Muslim militant for his alleged involvement in the killing last month of a gay rights activist and his friend in the capital. Police identified the suspect as Shariful Islam Shihab, a former member of the banned Islamic group Harkatul Jihad. They said he joined another …

Ukraine’s Jamala won Eurovision 2016 tonight after the final result in the controversial new voting system failed to put Russia over the top. Ukraine’s win is arguably the most politically-charged result in Eurovision history. From the BBC: Jamala is the first ever Crimean Tatar to perform at the contest and caused controversy ahead of the show over her political song, …

Ben Winslow reports for Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate: Mayor Jackie Biskupski put up the first street sign that renames a part of 900 South as “Harvey Milk Boulevard.” The Salt Lake City Council recently voted unanimously to rename 900 South after Milk, who was one of the country’s first openly gay elected officials until his assassination in 1978. “I …

“Look, this isn’t easy for me, either. I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but it just feels right,” says to young man to his stern-faced father, who responds, “We didn’t raise you this way.” “You must have known I was a little different,” the son pleads. “Not this different,” grunts the father. That difference, as most viewers likely suspect …

From the European Union: The recently adopted laws including in the states of Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee, which discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons in the United States contravene the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the US is a State party, and which states that the law shall prohibit any discrimination and …

The office of Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) just wrote to say that earlier today he become the first member of Congress to use the term “cisgender” in a House speech. Grayson stood next to a large portrait of transgender pioneer Christine Jorgensen as he delivered a 13-minute denouncement of the GOP and of North Carolina’s anti-LGBT hate law. Grayson is …

Via press release: The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released joint guidance today to help provide educators the information they need to ensure that all students, including transgender students, can attend school in an environment free from discrimination based on sex. Recently, questions have arisen from school districts, colleges and universities, and others about transgender students and how to …

Via press release from the Democratic National Committee: Earlier today, while speaking at the Texas GOP Convention, Governor Abbott made clear that he supports North Carolina’s discriminatory law, HB2. Abbott even hinted that a similar measure could be coming to the Lone Star State, saying “I am working with the governor of North Carolina, and we are going to fight …

The governor says she’ll sign it into law. The Concord Monitor reports: Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the state Senate reached an agreement late Thursday on a bill to ban gay conversion therapy on minors after a debate over religious freedom nearly derailed the effort. “Who among us would want to be converted from the essence of who we are? …

Noted activist Peter Staley reports on Facebook that Bernie Sanders has rescheduled his meeting with HIV/AIDS activists for May 25th. The meeting will take place in California. Yesterday Hillary Clinton issued a recap of her meeting with HIV/AIDS activists, which included a call for expanded PrEP availability. A short video of that meeting is below.

The Hill reports: The Obama administration will not strip federal funding from North Carolina amid a legal battle over the state’s controversial law on bathroom use, the White House said Thursday. Cabinet agencies have been conducting a review to determine whether the state’s recent legislation on LGBT rights makes it ineligible to receive education, transportation and other funding under federal …

Still no word on whether Bernie Sanders has rescheduled his canceled meeting. Via press release from the Clinton campaign: Today, Hillary Clinton met with HIV and AIDS experts and advocates representing a diverse coalition of more than 70 leaders and organizations in the community. The meeting took place at the Hillary for America headquarters in Brooklyn, NY, where they discussed …

Minutes ago the Massachusetts Senate overwhelmingly approved a transgender rights bill. The vote was 33-4. More from Reuters: The bill, which would make Massachusetts the 18th U.S. state to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, has strong support in the Democratic-controlled legislature, although Republican Governor Charlie Baker has not said whether he would sign it. State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, the …

But it’s just a “coincidence” that these companies might lose their tax breaks. From Raleigh’s NBC affiliate: While Republican state leaders have complained about being “bullied” by the federal government over House Bill 2, lobbyists in Raleigh tell WRAL News they and the businesses they represent are being bullied by state lawmakers seeking to silence business opposition to the new …